Nocturnal
by Code Green
Summary: For the survival of all humanity, one vampire lord would seek the destruction of his own people. That destruction would come in the form of an unassuming woman...
1. Dark Beginning

**This was written several months ago, specifically for my friend, Ichobana Rose. I thought it would be interesting to try writing a vampire story, never having read one and never really planning to read one outside of what my friend has written. This story follows two lives. One, the life of an innocent girl in New York City, and the other, a vampire lord torn between the survival of his race and the destruction of his race.**

**Prologue**

The silent, shadowed plague had begun nearly one hundred years before, with the immigration of people fleeing from the oppressive World War 1. It wasn't an expected plague, nor was it a natural one that mankind often faced. This pestilence came in the form of shadowed creatures, blending in so well with the night that one could scarcely see them in the shadows, not even underneath the eminence of a starry sky. These were predators, silent hunters, intent on surviving upon the life of others. They seemed not to care for humanity, not to pity the weaker beings that surrounded them. They snuck into the United States with cunning and craftiness, remaining hidden, and spent the next century roaming the alleyways and roofs of New York City, changing their styles and attitudes to match the changing times, but never seeming to grow older, weaker.

Now, on November 12, a dark and dismal night, three of these shadows raced across one of New York's back streets, moving faster than wolves, blending in with the darkness. They rushed quickly, leaping over any obstacles in their way, moving with a purpose.

A light, a glorious, brilliant light, following them through the darkness, drove them. They avoided this light with a passion, terrorized of it, for creatures of the darkness loathe and yet respect the light. Bats flew above them overhead, screeching and fluttering away from that brightness.

One of the shadows hissed as he turned a corner to see a police car waiting, lights flashing, ten policemen standing, waiting, in front of it. The shadows spun abruptly and ran in the opposite direction, only to be blinded by that light, that radiant, maddening light, blocking their escape route.

"Stop," a firm, female voice ordered. "You are trapped. There is nowhere else to go, unless you can fly, which I find unlikely."

"You endanger yourself, woman," the leader of the small band hissed, holding his hand up to his sensitive eyes, trying to see past the light to view the woman that stood before him.

Her white clothes were beaming with light, and her face was hidden behind the shine, making it impossible for the creatures to see her.

"How do I endanger myself?" she asked quietly, more policemen standing at her side, ready and waiting.

"You think you can just place yourself before our escape route?" the man snarled. "We have avoided captivity for hundreds of years. You think you and your puny force can stop us now?"

"I'm the only thing you cower from," the woman spoke, boldly taking one step closer. "And while I may not be able to harm you, I can certainly keep you from killing others."

She kept walking, and the shadows shrunk back as far as they dared to go.

"Stop!" the leader hissed.

The woman stopped, just far enough away to see under the man's hood. He had bloodshot eyes, glistening with piercing blue coloring. He was glaring at her; his teeth clenched, long, pointed incisors shining in the dull lighting. His eyes entranced her, and before she was given time to think, he coiled up, like a tiger crouching for its prey, and then sprang at her. She gasped as the police opened fire and a powerful body crashed against her, knocking her to the cold ground.

As the police shouted and the bullets fired, the woman lay pinned on the ground, the shadow's body pressed hard against hers. She choked as he put a cold, strong hand to her throat and held her down, his breath hot and lethal against her face.

"I warned you," the man growled. "We have warned you three times now. Threaten us again, my lady, and you shall know the venom we possess."

The woman shuddered as he let his cold fingers brush across her cheek and down her throat before the shadow leaped off her and raced into the darkness with his comrades. Voices called her name, but she didn't hear them. She lay there, gasping heavily, her eyes gazing up at the roofs that towered above her.

She saw him there, the true leader, gazing down at her, his cloak billowing about him and his hood covering his face as bats swarmed about him before they escaped off into the black sky. He was always there watching her, but never interfering with his men or the police. He was a silent stalker, and she knew he followed her, though she could never see him. He was trying to learn as much about her as he could, and she was doing the same for him. In the daylight, she could never find him, but night was his wake time, and he ruled the night.

One day, fate knew, the woman of light and the ghost of darkness would finally meet face to face. And on that day, the world of the vampires would rapidly begin to fade.


	2. Theatrics

**Here we go! Into the story! I know there aren't too many reading this, but if you would please review, that'd be awesome! This is my first vampire story ever, so I'm interested to know how it looks! Thanks!**

I

"Angel, you're falling asleep again."

Angel blinked, her stormy gray eyes opening and closing several times, and then turned her head to gaze at the man walking next to her.

"I'm walking. How can I possibly fall asleep?"

"I don't know how, but you certainly look as though you're succeeding," the man smiled. "Only one class left, and that's rehearsal. Can you stay awake enough for that?"

"I'm only a servant in this play," Angel shrugged. "I could sleep for half of rehearsal if I needed to. You, however, have to stay awake."

"What do you do at night that makes you so tired during the day?" Jaden asked, his English accent calm and relaxed. "Party?"

"Of course not," Angel snorted as he opened the door to Julliard's theater. "I work the late shift. You get to go to bed early. That must be so nice."

"Hmm… I suppose."

"Ah, our main star and our lovely servant!" Mr. Gregory, the play director, exclaimed as Angel and Jaden walked towards the stage. "Our play is ever drawing closer, and there is so much to do yet! Jaden, up on the stage with you! We need your voice to broadcast through the whole theater! Angel, if you'll wait off stage, please."

Angel watched as Jaden walked up the stairs to the stage, studying his appearance. Jaden had the reputation of being Julliard's biggest nerd. And it wasn't because of anything intellectual, but because of his physical appearance. The young man wore glasses with such thick lenses; one could barely see the color of his eyes, a deep hazel, behind them. His hair was blonde, somewhat long and somewhat wavy, always giving it a tussled, 80's look. He was tall, but certainly not muscular, wearing outfits that did nothing to show off his body. He wore polo shirts and neatly pressed pants, and he always had a trim, professional appearance. Were it not for his glasses, his hairstyle, and his outfits, the women at Julliard claimed he could have been the most handsome man there. But Jaden never seemed to worry about appearance, and his charms came out in his singing, his acting, his mannerisms, and the friendly, polite, kind attitude that he so uniquely possessed. It was because of these character traits that Angel admired him, and she and Jaden had been close friends ever since they first met a year and a half ago.

Angel turned her eyes away from Jaden and just admired the practice theater. This was her place of solace, her place of pleasure, the place where she could forget about the severity of her work and just relax and have fun. Rehearsals began, and Angel watched happily as the scenes began to roll through. This was a fairly simple play, about a princess of great beauty and talent who was terribly selfish and prideful. While out on a hunting trip, she became lost from her father and his men and had to depend upon the help of an ugly, old peddler, who quickly fell in love with her. At the end of the story, after the princess had been humbled and softened, the peddler turned into a handsome, charming prince.

Jaden played the voice of the peddler, and the character, as well as the voice, of the prince. It had been determined unanimously that his accent was perfect for the parts, and he was certainly handsome enough, without his glasses and wild hairstyle, to be the prince. Angel's role was simple. She was the princess' servant, a girl with little book knowledge and the inability to read or write, but with a heart of pure gold who showed compassion on the peddler when he and the princess arrived back at the palace.

Angel watched as Rachel, the actress playing the princess, performed her roles. Rachel was perfect for the role, for she was as selfish and prideful in real life as the princess was in the story. It was no hidden knowledge that Rachel spent almost every night at a club or bar, drinking, flirting, and making a complete fool of herself. She was reckless and wild, and was, for the most part, very unkind to both Jaden and Angel. But she could act and she could sing, two assets valuable to her role.

When Angel was told to come on stage, she did so and acted with a flourish, enjoying herself immensely. Her favorite part of the play, by far, was when the peddler turned into the prince. Because then, Jaden would sweep Rachel into his arms and lead her in a marvelous waltz. Rachel was a horrific dancer, and during rehearsals, she flirted nonstop with Jaden, but he never returned the affection, to Angel's pride, and he took his dancing seriously, occasionally rebuking Rachel gently when she wasn't paying attention or following his lead.

Rehearsals concluded two hours later, and Angel bounded out of the theater, twirling and singing a line from the play. Jaden chuckled as he followed her out, enjoying her enthusiasm and attempts at poking fun at Rachel.

"Oh, this is going to be a marvelous play! I can't wait when we go on Broadway with it! Only a few days before Christmas!" Angel sang.

"I wish you were playing the princess," Jaden sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Rachel is a real pain in the rear. She makes fun of me during classes and gossips nonstop about me with everyone, but when she and I are finally on stage, she acts like I'm the most gorgeous creature to come along since Leonardo DiCaprio took the female population by storm in 'Titanic.'"

"Oh, you're much better than that," Angel smiled, twirling and then curtsying before him. "What have you been up to, Jay? I didn't see you this past weekend."

"Mm… Work and an optometrist appointment," Jaden shrugged. "Nothing new."

"And you're eyes aren't getting any worse, right?"

"I wish I could agree to that."

"What do you mean?" Angel asked, all playfulness immediately gone.

"My eyesight is getting worse. I've been told that I'll be legally blind by Christmas. And I don't mean blind where I can still see shadows. I mean completely blind."

"But why?" Angel asked quietly. "How is this happening?"

"The doctors seem to think it's Diabetes. I don't know, though," Jaden sighed. "I mean, that would explain my frequent dizzy and fainting spells, but still."

"Haven't you been checked for Diabetes yet?" Angel asked sadly.

"Look, you don't need to worry about it," Jaden smiled. "I've already accepted the fact that I'm going blind."

"But it's not fair!" Angel exclaimed. "Why you? What have you done to deserve it?"

"Hey, you want to stop by Starbucks for some coffee?" Jaden asked, uncomfortably changing the subject.

"I can't," Angel sighed. "Forrest is picking me up after dinner."

"Oh. Well, that's okay. I'll just walk you home then, and then I have to go back to Starbucks for work," Jaden said easily. "No problem. And tell Forrest I said hello, would you? He's a nice guy."

"Does that bother you, that I'm with him a lot?" Angel asked carefully.

"Why would it bother me? You're an attractive woman and he's a handsome guy with a Corvette," Jaden grinned. "It's no problem. You're a free spirit, allowed to do what you want, and Forrest is a reliable guy with a steady job who has every right to want to spend a lot of money on you. Have fun with him."

"After work, what are you going to do?" Angel asked as they turned a corner.

"What I always do. Go to the cathedral and spend some time with God."

Angel became silent then, and the rest of the walk proceeded quietly. Jaden stopped outside the building where Angel's studio was, and then waved good-bye as she went into the building and took an elevator up to the eighth floor, where her home was located. He then walked a few yards more and went into his apartment complex where he took the stairs all the way to the eleventh floor.

Once in her room, Angel changed out of her school clothes, into a pair of white pants and a white long-sleeved shirt. She then went to her freezer and pulled out a frozen pizza. She was deep in thought as she cooked it and then began to eat, her smoky gray eyes gazing out her immense studio windows as she did so, looking at the skyscrapers of New York. She half expected to see a silhouette standing atop one of the buildings, dark and menacing against the sinking sun. Naturally, there was nothing there, and Angel sighed.

These trips with Forrest were getting to be tiresome. She was weary of making a façade for Jaden to see, having him think she and Forrest were going out when actually, they were hunting down the greatest terrors of night. Well, not hunting, per say. Vampires could never be killed or caught, it seemed, but they could certainly be shunned away from their prey.

Angel was uneasy about tonight's mission. After that threat the night before, she wasn't looking forward to meeting up with the vampires again. She had been threatened before, but never in such proximity.

She shuddered now as she imagined that vampire's breath on her neck, and quickly, she put her hand into the collar of her white shirt and pulled out the gold chain with the tiny diamond on the end. The room around her immediately began to glow with light, shining brilliantly, completely hiding Angel in its rays. This was what kept the woman safe every night. This strange, brilliant illumination that had been a gift from her mother. Strangely, it had never glowed when her mother wore it, but as soon as Angel began to wear it, the unusual power manifested itself. Now, every time it was visible to others, it was brilliant and blinding, protecting Angel and giving her a safe, secure feeling.

Her mother had died years ago in a tragic car accident, wearing this very necklace. Angel's father, Tom, had given it to his daughter, explaining that her mother wanted her to keep it. And now it glowed like a fallen star, shedding its light in every dark place, sheltering Angel from the shadows.

Angel toyed with the charm, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of pizza. Strange, that such a tiny object should have so much incredible power. It was stranger still that it should only glow for Angel. It had never glowed for anyone before, nor did it glow now for anyone Angel happened to put it on. That troubled Angel, and she had researched magical necklaces and charms, but to no avail. Forrest believed that the power didn't come from the diamond, but from Angel. She had laughed when he told her that. How could a human being just _glow_? It was impossible! And yet, she did have somewhat of a shine about her face when the necklace wasn't visible or wasn't even on…

There was a knock on Angel's door, drawing her out of her reveries.

"Come on in, Forrest. It's unlocked," Angel spoke, standing up and moving to her kitchen.

The door opened, and Forrest walked in, his deep brown eyes warm and friendly, every piece of his dark brown hair combed neatly into place.

"You ready for another adventure?" he asked, sitting down on one of Angel's leather couches.

"Not after last night. You heard that man threaten me," Angel spoke.

"And they've threatened you millions of times before, but they've never done anything about it," Forrest shrugged.

"This was different," Angel shuddered. "I believe his threat."

"But you came up with a brilliant plan."

"Scarcely," Angel sighed, pulling a white trench coat on over her outfit. "Meeting with the leader of the vampires was hardly a good idea."

"But the police will escort you. You'll be safe, and we might finally be able to come to terms with these guys," Forrest said cheerfully.

"How exactly am I even going to talk to the man?" Angel asked. "He always stays up on one of the roofs!"

"You must be nervous. You already came up with that reasoning, or did you forget?" Forrest said, getting off the couch. "We're going to corner the guys in one last attempt to capture them, remember? If that doesn't work out, you are going to intervene and talk to the leader you encountered last night, telling him you want to talk to his boss. It's as simple as that."

"Things with vampires are never that simple. You know that," Angel frowned, pulling on her boots. "Let's go. I want to get this over with."

Forrest opened the studio door for her, and both took the elevator down to the lobby and then out to his awaiting police car. Angel sighed tiredly as she got into the car, and then she gazed out the window at the dark sky as Forrest began to drive.

Her plan had been brilliant, but she knew there would be flaws. The best way to get rid of the vampires, Angel had concluded with the police, was to somehow either capture their leader, that cloaked figure on the roofs, or tell them off. She had thought it would be simple to talk to one of the vampires, convincing him to give his leader the message from her, but now that she wasn't all excited and in an adrenaline rush, she loathed the idea. Actually speak to one of the vampires, go up to one and ask to talk to him? She was a woman! Women were their main prey! And she was no exception, except for her extraordinary light!

"Do me a favor," Forrest spoke as he drove. "Just breathe. Don't even think about the plans for the vampires. For right now, we're going to try and corner them again, like we always do, and drive them out of New York. If that doesn't work, then we'll see what happens. Everyone down at the station agreed that your idea was clever."

"But it's suicide! They'd kill me before I could talk!" Angel exclaimed.

"They respect your light. Just one step at a time, Angel. You're getting in over yourself. Calm down."

"That's easy for you to say," Angel pouted. "You have a gun and a police force behind you. I do have weapons, yes, but I'm the only woman, and I really can't protect myself like you guys can."

"And we'll all be there for you," Forrest said quietly. "Here we are at the station. And I have a surprise for you."

"Any more surprises concerning vampires and I'm going to scream," Angel muttered as she got out of the car.

She and Forrest rounded the corner to the police station and then stopped. She let out a squeal when she saw Forrest's surprise. There, standing in front of the station, were ten horses, all tacked up and ready to ride.

"What's this?" Angel gasped.

"The police cars give us away every time we go after the bats," Forrest explained. "Horses are far more maneuverable and a bit quieter. The vampires are also, according to our technological knowledge, in Central Park right now. We can't take the police cars."

"But I've never been on a horse!" Angel declared.

"You'll be up behind me. You'll be perfectly fine. We're going to take Target," Forrest said, walking over to a large, powerful chestnut Thoroughbred. "He's fast, calm, and smooth as a wave on the sea."

"We're chasing down the vampires on horseback?" Angel asked worriedly. "Aren't they faster than horses?"

"Stop worrying, already!" Forrest laughed. "Look at this as an adventure! Go ahead and get your necklace out. We'll need that light."

Angel sighed and pulled the diamond out, letting it glow radiantly, hiding her facial features and lighting up the entire area. She watched as Forrest swung up onto Target and then held his hand out to her. She grabbed his offered hand and then gasped as he pulled her up onto Target's back with one smooth motion. She didn't quite land properly on the horse's back, but rather ended up in a kneeling position, right behind the saddle.

"All set?" Forrest asked, watching as the other police officers mounted their horses.

"No," Angel grunted, moving her legs so she was sitting properly. She wrapped her arms around Forrest's muscular stomach, holding him tightly and mumbling under her breath as she did so. "Forrest, I've always wanted to ride, but I didn't want to learn how in this situation."

"Trust the horse, trust your fellow workers, trust me, and trust your instincts," Forrest said calmly, gathering the reins in his hands. "I feel like tonight is going to start up a new and glorious adventure with the vampires."

"They're really smart, Forrest. After hundreds of years of dealing with humans, they probably already know what we're up to."

"But the chase is still on. Hold on. Here we go."

"Here you go," Jaden spoke, handing a cup of steaming coffee to a customer. "Have a good night, ma'am."

He sighed and then looked out the store windows, gazing at the busy street before him. Cars rushed back and forth, their owners eager to get home for the evening. It was already dark, the only light being that of the streetlights and car lights. Jaden leaned on one of the counters, his hazel eyes gazing out from behind his thick glasses, thinking about Angel. She was such a mystery to him. She seemed to care so much about him, but then she went off, gallivanting with Forrest. She never told Jaden what the two of them did, and he could only assume that it was because she didn't want to hurt him. Sure, he was her best friend, but she never seemed to want more than that. And Jaden wanted so much more.

Hooves sounded outside the store, and Jaden's eyes widened when he saw a horse trotting across the street, a girl clinging to the back of the horse's rider.

"What on earth is she doing on a horse?" Jaden asked, immediately recognizing Angel. "Good grief. He must be filthy rich!"

"He already owns a Corvette, doesn't he?" Jaden's co-worker, Amelia, asked.

"He does," Jaden sighed. "I'm finished with work, Amelia. I'll see you around."

"Sure. Have a good night, Jaden. And listen, you know," Amelia said slowly. "Maybe she's not really worth it."

"What do you mean?" Jaden frowned.

"All of your concentration, your every thought, your affection," Amelia shrugged. "She doesn't seem to appreciate it. I mean, she's always off with _him_. And you always seem upset about it."

"I can't have everything I want," Jaden said with a small smile. "If I can't win her over, then so be it. She's chosen Forrest, and he's really a cool guy. Excuse me."

Jaden signed off of work, grabbed his thick brown jacket, and then rushed out into the cold night air. His thoughts were a jumbled mess as he crossed several streets and finally arrived at his beloved St. Paul the Apostle Church. He tried to push thoughts of Angel aside as he walked into the church, but he couldn't. He squinted to see the front of the auditorium, a place full of golden decorations and a large, beautiful cross.

He wished Angel could be with him, could see the torment within him and comfort him. He longed for her with an intense longing, but she never seemed to notice. Her life was so full of Forrest and acting that she had little time to spend with him. When he had first met her, they had spent almost every hour of daylight together, but now, he was just a shadow in her life, drifting about, only there for if she needed him. He was determined to always be there for her. One of these days, he knew, she would come to him for help, she would truly need him, and he wouldn't be able to refuse her.

If only he could be more valiant like Forrest, more loving and sacrificing, but Jaden knew, deep down in his heart, that he was selfish and scornful, probably too evil for Angel to even care for. He couldn't give himself to her, for he was so concerned about self-preservation, what with his blindness and all, he'd barely be able to care for her.

"Thinking happy thoughts, are we?" Mr. Clayton, one of the ministers at the church, asked, coming to sit on a pew next to Jaden.

"Things have been difficult lately, sir," Jaden sighed, gazing up at the cross. "My vision is horrific now, and Angel hasn't been around much."

"It's hard to have a relationship with someone when you rarely see them," Mr. Clayton nodded. "Is she still spending all her time with Forrest?"

"A good portion of it," Jaden nodded. "I just can't light a candle next to that man. He's so powerful and…good."

"And you aren't good?"

"No. I'm entirely evil," Jaden said firmly.

"You?" Mr. Clayton asked, sitting back. "Son, we're all evil. That's why we have a Savior. Christ came for the evil, and I know you believe in Him and want to please Him."

"But what if you can't?" Jaden asked quietly. "What if you're so entirely lustful and wicked, that you can't get His forgiveness?"

"Jaden, He wants to forgive everyone. He knows we all stumble and fall," Mr. Clayton said, putting a hand on Jaden's shoulder. "And for what it's worth, I think you are a splendid, kind young man."

"Who looks like a dork and is nearly blind," Jaden snorted. "I can't win that girl's love, Mr. Clayton, no matter how hard I try."

"Then don't try!" Mr. Clayton smiled. "Let her come to you. Give her a break, Jaden. You're her best friend. She knows that, and she values you. You're the one that's always there for her if she needs you. Let her come to you in her time. She will. I know she cares about you."

"I wish I could believe that," Jaden sighed, standing up.

"Things will work out, Jaden. Believe me. You are a good young man. A woman would be a fool not to see that," Mr. Clayton smiled. "Keep your chin up, son."

Jaden nodded and then left the church, his hands folded behind his back, his head bowed in confusion and despair.


	3. Night Ghosts

**Hmm… So far this story doesn't seem to be very popular, but for those of you who are enjoying it, I'm glad. I guess mostly everyone who likes vampire stories is more into Twilight right now, but oh well. Enjoy!**

**Chapter Two: Night Ghosts**

Angel gasped as Target swerved steeply again, nearly dislodging her.

"Forrest!" she shouted, clinging to him as tightly as possible. "Haven't I mentioned to you that I haven't ridden before?"

"And you're hanging on perfectly," Forrest grinned. "I know this trot is kind of bouncy, so we're going to speed it up a bit."

"Forrest! I'm going to fall off!" Angel wailed.

"Just keep holding on and you'll be fine!"

Angel bit her lip viciously as Target broke into a smooth, fast canter. She squeezed her eyes shut as he just missed another tree and then charged across the moonlit path in Central Park. Forrest's communications' devices were making all sorts of noises from his pocket, and she could hear police reports coming in over them. They were closing in on the vampires, even though she hadn't seen a single one of them yet.

"Shadow, 9:00!" One of the other policemen called, and Forrest immediately turned Target onto an open grass area where several benches were located.

"Got him!" he called, and Angel's eyes widened when she saw a shadow rushing ahead of them, leaping over a bench and charging towards the woods.

"He's headed for the bridge!" Forrest called to the others, and the horses immediately began to gallop, Angel holding on for dear life. "Angel, we're going over a jump!" Forrest told her, leaning low over Target's withers.

"You might be, but I'm going to fall off!" Angel shouted.

"We're closing in on them, Angel! Only a few yards more and we should be at that bridge!"

"And they'll go right through it and ambush us on the other side!" Angel yelled as Target flew over one of the benches and then landed on the other side. She yelped as her body began to slip off the horse, but Forrest reached back and pulled her back up.

"The bridge is closed!" Forrest said.

"They know what we want! Forrest, they're always at least one step ahead of us! This is a bad idea!" Angel shivered, clinging to him.

Forrest didn't answer, but Target suddenly came to a sliding stop, and Angel struggled with all her worth to stay on the horse's back.

"That was a nightmare!" she declared, and then closed her mouth when she saw seven shadows standing in front of the closed bridge, all looking ready for battle.

All the horses stopped in a row, blocking the vampires from the pathway.

"You can either come peaceably or violently, whichever you choose," Forrest's chief officer, Cpt. Rayson, demanded. "We want all of you off the streets of New York and behind bars where you belong."

The vampires didn't speak, but braced themselves, standing tall and strong, their fists at their sides and their cloaks billowing about them in the breeze. All of them were tall, powerful men, Angel could tell, and she cuddled up closer to Forrest, nearly hiding her face in the back of his shoulder.

"We're giving you an opportunity to prove yourselves valuable enough for us to spare your lives," Cpt. Rayson said, drawing his gun.

"If you wanted us to come peaceably," one of the vampires hissed, his voice dark and threatening, "Then you wouldn't have brought the woman with the light."

"Does she make you uncomfortable?" Forrest asked, urging Target to take a few steps closer to the shadows.

"Forrest, don't," Angel pleaded, the horse shivering nervously beneath her.

"Yes, she makes us uncomfortable," the vampire growled, crouching low. "If you wish to have a tranquil conversation with us without bloodshed, then get her out of here."

"And where would you have us put her? She's our security," Cpt. Rayson grinned. "Imagine, powerful beings like you afraid of a little light. What are you scared of? Are you so hideous to look at that the light is a threat?"

"Silence!" the vampire roared, and Target began to prance in place nervously, sensing that something dangerous was about to happen.

"No!" Cpt. Rayson barked back. "Surrender, or we will kill you!"

"We may just kill you before you get a chance!" the vampire snarled, and then all seven men surged at the horses with speed that was impossible for normal humans.

Two of the horses reared as the vampires grabbed their riders and pulled them to the ground, beginning to plummet them until they were bloody. Angel screamed as the speaker of the group lunged at Forrest, grabbed him by the neck, and then ripped him off Target's back. Target reared and then bucked, dislodging Angel and making her fall hard to the ground.

These horses had been trained for anything, but they still had their predator vs. prey instincts, and right now all of them knew that the predators were out, making the animals terrorized. Seven of the horses fled, leaving their riders to their fates.

Angel was stunned by the fall, and she could barely think as one of the vampires suddenly dropped down next to her and grabbed hold of her throat.

"Let me go!" she wheezed, trying to breathe as the vampire pulled her up into a sitting position, making her long hair fall out of its bun and drape wildly down her back.

"You were warned," the vampire hissed, his eyes piercing into hers. "You didn't heed the warning."

"Don't hurt me!" Angel panicked, looking over to Forrest for help, but he was far too involved in a tangle with one of the men for him to see that she needed help.

"You'd be absolutely heavenly to hurt," the vampire hissed, moving one icy hand to the back of her neck and the other to her wrists, holding her tightly.

Angel squirmed and fought as he lowered his mouth towards her throat, and just before he was able to touch her, she screamed.

"Stop! I came here to make a bargain!"

"I beg your pardon?" the vampire smirked, his eyes glistening into hers.

"I want to speak to your leader. I know you have one. He's always up on the rooftops, watching us. My guess is he's on the bridge right now, looking down at us," Angel gasped, eyes wide with fear. "I want to talk to him, possibly about coming to an agreement."

"And what makes you think he wants to see you?" the vampire growled.

"I can discuss with him the possibility of me no longer using my light against you," Angel said hoarsely.

The man immediately released her and stood up, towering above her, a smirk on his pale face.

"He might like to see you. He just might," the man grinned, stroking his chin. "You are exceptionally attractive, and he does favor beautiful women."

"Will you let me see him, then?" Angel asked. "Please?"

"I tell you what," the man spoke, stepping back from her. "You go back to your lovely home, and I'll have his answer for you in a couple of hours. I'll bring you his reply."

He signaled to the other men, and they immediately left the police and made their way into the shadows.

"Wait!" Angel cried, cold terror gripping her heart. "You know where I live?"

There was no answer, and Angel was left in the dark, shivering and more terrified than she had ever been in her life.

Forrest escorted Angel back to her studio and then left her there, assuring her that the police were always there for her if she needed them. He had been terribly battered, and it was a miracle he and none of the others had been bitten and killed.

Angel closed and locked her door as soon as he left, her fingers trembling from fear. Her whole body was shivering, and she moved over to one of her couches and plopped down onto it. Her body was icy cold, and her breaths were unhealthy and rapid, absolutely terrorized.

"Oh God," she prayed. "I'm going to die. I'm just going to die. It's as simple as that. And I'm so scared! Oh, am I scared!"

Her hand came to rest on the phone near the couch, and her thoughts immediately turned to Jaden. He was so much braver than she, and he was always so calm. Perhaps he'd be able to help her, would have some good advice to calm her nerves.

Angel picked up the phone and then dialed his number. She caught sight of her clock as she did so, noticing that it was well past midnight. He'd be fast asleep, but she needed him now, just to hear his soothing voice.

"Hello?" Jaden spoke, sounding exhausted and sleepy.

"Jay, this is Angel. I'm sorry to call you so early in the morning, but…"

"Hey. What's wrong?" Jaden asked, immediately concerned. "You sound shaky."

"I am," Angel struggled. "I just had a really bad encounter."

"With whom? Did some man try and hurt you? What happened?" Jaden demanded, fully awake now.

"I…I think, I'm just a little shaken, I guess. It's not really anything important."

"I'm coming over."

"No! It's too late for that! You have trouble seeing in the dark!" Angel exclaimed.

"I'll be fine. I'm coming over. You sound like you just had a heart attack."

Jaden hung up the phone, and Angel shook her head and ran her fingers through her hair tiredly.

Three minutes later, there was a knock on her door, and terrorized that it was one of the vampires, she went to it and spoke.

"Who is it?"

"Jaden. Who else?" Jaden asked.

Angel let him in and then closed and locked the door behind him, gesturing for him to sit down on one of the couches. Jaden had brought his dog along with him, a German Shepherd by the name of Crimson. He was a large, red dog, and he loved Angel just as much as he loved Jaden. He greeted her with a happy yelp and then trotted over into the living area.

"Now, would you be so kind as to tell me what all this is about?" Jaden asked, studying Angel's face as she sat down across from him.

"I have someone coming over very soon, and I'm a little scared," Angel whispered.

"Someone coming over? Who? Why?" Jaden demanded, leaning forward, his eyes boring into hers.

"He…he has a message for me, that could just about kill me," Angel said, trying hard to remain composed as terror consumed her again.

"What have you been doing? How do you get into situations like this?" Jaden asked, his voice demanding and harsh.

"Why are you getting angry at me? I called you because I was scared!" Angel cried. "Jaden, I didn't want a lecture from you!"

Jaden became silent as he gazed at her, wondering why she was so troubled and she wasn't telling him anything. He couldn't think of anything helpful to say, because he had no clue what she had gotten herself into. She had been out past midnight, possibly with Forrest, and while Forrest was a good man, who knows what could have happened. Did he take her to a bar and now she had a stalker? What was she so worried about?

There was a knock on the door, and Jaden stood up to get it.

"Don't get it," Angel said quickly.

"Why not? You certainly aren't going to get it," Jaden frowned, opening the door.

He found a piece of paper taped to the door, and he pulled it off, closed the door and locked it, and then brought the paper to Angel. "This is all that was there," he said coolly. "Now would you please tell me what's going on?"

Angel gazed at the paper, reading it slowly. The letter was written in gorgeous, old-fashioned calligraphy, and it was written in scarlet ink. Her eyes widened as she read, and she shook her head when she was finished.

"Let me see that," Jaden said quietly. She handed him the paper, and he immediately began to read it, out loud.

"To Miss Angel,

I offer you my grandest and most hospitable greetings. I humbly accept your invitation to meet you. I shall see you tomorrow night, in Central Park, at midnight. I will not tell you exactly where I shall be waiting, for I fear you shall be bringing company with you, although I truly wish, for your sake and theirs, that you wouldn't. You shall have to find me. I also highly advise that you keep your light to a minimum, as I am sensitive to light and shall be in rather a sour mood if you attempt to blind me on our first meeting. I eagerly anticipate meeting the woman whose remarkable light seems to terrorize my weak companions. Until tomorrow night, I remain yours.

Your Servant,

Ghost."

"Ghost?" Jaden asked, looking up at Angel.

"Yes. The man I'm supposed to meet."

"You haven't been gambling, have you?" Jaden asked.

"No!" Angel exclaimed, standing up and pacing. "Ghost is the leader of a band of vampires I've been searching for."

"Vampires?" Jaden gasped, standing up and grabbing hold of her arms. "What do you mean?"

"I mean just what I said. I've been out chasing vampires with Forrest and the other police officers," Angel said. "I decided to meet with the leader, to see if we can come up with some sort of agreement."

"Agreement? How can you possibly agree with a vampire?"

"They've been feeding off the women in New York," Angel explained. "I have an idea that could stop them from doing that. I'm prepared to make food for them here that they can eat, so they don't need to prey off women. If this Ghost agrees with me, I'll feed them in exchange for them no longer killing off people."

"You're bringing the police of course," Jaden said, amazed.

"Ghost said not to. I'm just worried because they knew where I live. That means they're watching me."

"Did you touch that writing?" Jaden asked, studying the letter.

"I did."

"Oh sick. Angel, go wash your hands right now. With lots of soap."

"Why? What…"

Angel stopped mid-sentence and her face went ashen. "You think that's…"

She nearly hurled as she rushed over to the sink and put the water on burning hot. She lathered her hands in soap, so that she couldn't see her hands anymore, and scrubbed them until they were nearly raw.

"Oh gross! Gross! Gross! Gross!" she exclaimed. "Ooh, vampires are so sick! Why write in blood? Ugh!"

"What did you think that was?" Jaden chuckled, despite himself. "Does your dad know you've been doing this?"

"Yes," Angel nodded. "I have a gift that he knows about. I have to use it."

"Your amazing light," Jaden nodded. "Look, I know I can't stop you from going to see Ghost. But can I at least go with you?"

"No! If he's threatening the police, he'll just kill you!" Angel declared.

"I could take care of myself and you," Jaden frowned.

"Jaden, you're sweet, and I really care about you. You're my best friend. The last thing I want is for you to get hurt. This is a test, don't you see? It's a test to see if I'm afraid," Angel sighed. "If I bring security, I'm weak and my word can't be trusted."

"Or it's just a trick to get an extremely beautiful, intoxicating woman in the grasp of a vampire," Jaden scowled.

"That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said about me," Angel blushed, walking over to him. "I'll be okay. I'm just a little scared."

She hugged him, smiling as she did so.

"Thanks for being there for me, Jaden. I know I can always count on you."

"I'm leaving Crimson here with you tonight," Jaden said. "I don't trust those vampires."

"Thank you," Angel smiled and then pet Crimson's head. "I really appreciate it, Jaden."

"And please, let me know as soon as you get back tomorrow night, even if I am already asleep," Jaden said, putting his hand on her cheek. "I want you to be safe."

"I will be," Angel nodded, and then watched him leave.

She went into the bathroom and got changed, then slid into her bed. She pulled the covers up over her body and then patted the part of the bed near her feet.

"Hop on up, Crimson."

Crimson wagged his tail and then hopped up onto the edge of the bed, making the whole bed shake. He then circled a couple of times and lay down with a contented snort. Angel closed her eyes and prayed, letting herself drift into sleep as she spoke to her true Comforter and Protector.

Forrest and the other police were infuriated the next day when they saw Ghost's letter. If the vampire wanted to see Angel, then by all means, the police were going to go with her! Angel pleaded with them, doing her best to convince them that she would be okay. Finally, reluctantly, they agreed, but only after informing her that she would have all sorts of devices on her, letting them know exactly what was going on every second. And she would carry weapons, one dagger on her left upper arm, and a pistol in her left boot.

Angel spent all that day planning and praying. She was going to meet the vampire she had wanted to meet for years, the one she had been watching ever since she first started working with the police, the magnificent, powerful one who's mere presence kept his men strong and in line. Ghost.

She studied up tactics that the vampires had used in the past to lure their prey. The stories were always the same. Their voices were alluring, making women nearly fall into their arms. They were romantics, using their charm and their good looks to drag their prey in and then kill them. They usually went for women, though there were cases of them going after men, but those were times of self-defense or lack of food. Angel determined she wouldn't fall for a single one of those traps. Unlike the other women, she was well informed and she would be armed.

Jaden was extremely protective of her that day, never letting her out of his sight. He stayed close, walking with her everywhere and only leaving her to herself when she returned to her studio to prepare for the evening.

Angel dressed in something warm, black pants and a dark green shirt, making sure to cover up her necklace and arm herself with the dagger and gun beforehand. She pulled on a pair of knee-high black boots, added a long, thick black trench coat and green and red scarf to her attire, and then gazed at herself in the mirror as she pulled her hair up into a French Twist. There. She was ready.

She slipped in her earpiece that would keep her in contact with the police, and then she spent the next couple of hours reading and praying.

When the clock struck 11:40, she left the studio and made her way to the building lobby. She was startled when she heard her name being called.

"Angel! Angel wait!"

Angel turned to see Jaden running towards her, Crimson at his heels.

"I had to see you off," he said, stopping before her, breathing heavily from running. "Listen to me. Don't say a word," he said, putting his fingers to her lips. "You be careful, you understand? I want you to come back safe and with no regrets."

"Jaden, you're the best friend I have," Angel smiled gently. "I'll make it back, I promise."

He nodded, choking back words he wanted to say but just couldn't at the moment. Instead, he took her gloved hands in his and massaged her hands gently, gazing down at their entwined fingers, willing all of his words to speak in his actions. Angel glanced up into his hazel eyes, and he met her gaze from behind his thick lenses. She could see unmistakable love there, a love that she wasn't yet ready to claim as her own. He understood that, and he didn't say anything. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek gently before he pulled back, waved slightly, and smiled sadly. She gave him the best reassuring smile she could muster and then turned and raced out of the building.

It didn't take long to get to Central Park. It was extremely dark and there was a snow flurry when she arrived, hindering her vision and making her cold, but she walked along one of the dark paths, searching left and right for any signs of a vampire. The snow and a harsh breeze made the air freezing cold, but still Angel pressed on, determined to find Ghost and talk to him.

A great clock was just striking midnight when Angel turned on her path and saw a shadow seated casually on a park bench, one leg crossed over the other in a smug manner.

She had found the Ghost.


	4. Touch of Death

**Well, this story isn't quite as popular as I had hoped it would be. But, for those of you who are reading it, continue to enjoy! It's just getting better! And if you wouldn't mind, I would really love to know what you all think. Thanks!**

**Chapter Three: Touch of Death**

Angel froze in place, suddenly uncertain of what she should do. He was far more imposing than she had expected. Though he was sitting down, she could see, from several safe yards away, that he was muscular and powerful. He was dressed entirely in black, from his open silk shirt to his pants to his knee-high boots. His chest was lined with strength, a thick silver chain with a pointed, dagger-like black pendant on the end, glowing against his pale skin. He wore an immense black cloak, dark as night, and a hood, that was covering the upper half of his face. Angel was afraid to move towards him, afraid that he'd eat her alive.

"I was beginning to think you wouldn't come," his voice, low, alluring, and filled with romance and the desire to give her everything she wanted, nearly stilled her heart.

"You weren't easy to find," she countered, not moving an inch closer.

"You're cold," he said deeply. "Come here."

"No. I'm no fool, Ghost."

"And yet you came here alone," he smirked. "How wise of you."

Angel growled and then wrapped her arms around her chest, trying to warm herself.

"I said come here. Don't make me force you," Ghost said coolly.

"You can't force me to do anything," Angel said defiantly.

Ghost stood up then and walked towards her, his steps more like stalks, his whole form whispering the fulfillment of dreams and undying pleasure. Angel stepped back as he stepped forward, but he was too fast, too strong, and before she knew what had happened, he had pressed himself against her, so close, she was forced to move towards the bench. She felt the back of her legs hit the bench and then sat down with a plop, her wide eyes watching every move he made.

"Now then," Ghost spoke, silkily sitting down next to her, putting an arm behind her. "You wished to see me. Here I am."

"I…I want to bargain…with you," Angel stuttered, feeling a peculiar warmth radiating from his arm behind her. "How can you be so warm when you haven't a heart?"

"You always begin conversations this way?" Ghost asked, his pointed teeth shining in the faint moonlight.

"I did come here to bargain with you," Angel said, trying to scoot back as he moved closer. "And I know you're purposefully intimidating me to see how powerful my defenses are, and I can assure you, I'm strong enough, so please back off."

"You're gorgeous," Ghost murmured.

"As I was saying," Angel frowned as he put an icy finger to the corner of her lips and stroked her skin. "I'd like to provide food for your men in exchange for the lives of everyone you keep trying to kill. And stop that!"

She swatted at his hand and yelped when her fingernails scratched her skin. The air was so cold and her skin so dry from it, that it immediately began to bleed. She gasped and hurriedly tried to wipe the blood away, all the while staring at Ghost with wide, worried eyes.

He didn't move. He simply watched her, with amusement, as she tried to cover up the scent of her blood.

"You'll feed my men if we don't kill more people, you're saying?" he asked, watching as more blood trickled from her mouth, a brilliant scarlet against her fair skin.

"Yes," she nodded, rummaging in her pocket for a tissue. "I'll buy you all enough meat to last you a day. Every morning or every night, you pick, your men and you can come, get something to eat, and then be good for the next twenty-four hours."

"Would you like a little help?" Ghost asked, watching her struggle with her cut.

"No!" she snapped immediately. "Your help would be taking all the pain away by just killing me."

"We came here on a trust basis," Ghost snarled, standing up as she did. "Yet you aren't showing any trust. I trusted you not to bring that infernal light with you, and you didn't. You can trust me not to kill you."

"Look, I gave you my offer. Let me know your decision. Obviously, you already know where I live," she said, trying to move away, but he imitated her every step.

"You're nervous," Ghost smiled, his voice deep and inviting, his teeth shining mercilessly. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you're terrified of me, afraid that just a little bloodshed will turn me into a monster."

"Maybe it will," she said, looking up at him bravely.

"Let me inform you of something," Ghost said, stepping closer to her, his cloak billowing out and wrapping around her back, pulling her closer to him. "We don't hunt down most of the women we kill. They come to us, Miss Angel."

"If you're insinuating that I'm going to come to you…" Angel began and then gasped as her body crashed against his. He smirked, sliding one hand into her trench coat and moving it across her body to her back, and putting his other hand to the back of her neck, cradling her and making it impossible for her to move.

"You're such a fighter," he smiled, moving his nose close to hers. "Sometimes even the strongest of us need a little help."

"You touch me and I'll…"

She let out a squeal when he pressed his lips to her chin, his mouth moving against the stream of blood that was there. She found, quite suddenly, that she couldn't breathe. She was pressed firmly against him, and heat from his body was pouring over her, making her warm and cozy. And his mouth moving against her blood…it was almost more than she could bear. She couldn't say a word as he traced his lips up the scratch, drawing away the blood, drinking of her without even having to inflict harm on her. She heard satisfied sounds coming from the back of his throat, and it made her shudder.

"You're so sick," she struggled to speak.

"And you're so warm and flushed suddenly," he murmured, his voice raspy and deep in his throat as he cleaned her cut with his lips and mouth. "You're very powerful, very resistant, darling."

"What are you doing?" she murmured, his touch somehow intoxicating her, the feel of his cold mouth on her skin making her close her eyes with…longing? No wait, he was getting the upper hand! Stop! Stop! Stop!

"Stop!" Angel exclaimed, trying to pull back as he drew more of her blood into his mouth.

He ignored her, but continued making his way up the scratch, towards the blood on the corner of her lips.

"Ghost!" she cried, struggling against him as he neared her lips, those lips that had never been kissed. "Don't!"

He growled, tightening his hold on her and pulling her even closer. He continued cleaning her scratch, the blood disappearing from her skin, as he tasted her, moving his mouth ever closer to hers. He didn't mind her struggling, it seemed, and finally his lips touched the corner of her mouth.

She could have fainted. Whether it was from the intoxicating way he was making her feel or because he had just touched a part of her that she didn't want him to, she didn't know. She tried to speak, opening her mouth to verbally fight, but her voice came out as a gasp and a whoosh of air. So this was what it was like to be so near to a vampire! They really did have a strange power over women! She groaned in the back of her throat as he let his lips linger near hers, cleaning the blood off her flesh. He growled, letting his mouth slow down, enjoying the power that he was manifesting towards her. He had her right where he wanted her, trapped, and perfectly blissful because of it.

Ghost smiled, finding the actual cut itself and pressing his lips to that spot in almost a kiss to get the blood.

"Ghost," Angel pleaded, feeling drugged. "We came here on a trust basis…"

"And you thought you could trust a vampire," he chuckled, his mouth against her ear, making her shudder. "You poor woman."

"Remove your body before I hurt you," Angel struggled, fighting her flamboyant emotions and the marvelous feelings that were trying to consume her.

"How would you do that?" Ghost asked, moving his mouth mere centimeters away from hers, so that, were she to move forward just a tiny smidgen more, they would be touching.

"Kiss me, mess with my cut anymore, and you'll wish you hadn't," she said, finding her courage again.

"I'm terrified," Ghost said, and then wrapped both arms around her back, holding her as closely as he possibly could.

Angel moved her hand to her shirt quickly; her eyes dark and angry, and then drew her diamond. Light suddenly flowed about her, engulfing her and Ghost, and he let out a howl of fury and pain. He took a long step back, his hand to his eyes, trying to find shelter in the darkness.

"It would be best, Ghost, if you kept a safe distance from me," Angel said, holding her head high. "I have a power you can't stand before."

"You're a woman," Ghost growled. "There will come a day when you succumb to me."

"The knowledge that my succumbing would bring about my death somewhat deters me from that threat," Angel said powerfully. "I will be expecting your men tomorrow night, around 7:00. Don't threaten me, Ghost, and stop stalking me, or I'll have to do you some serious damage."

She turned then with a flourish and made her way through the darkness. She turned just in time, for her lips began trembling from the fear and rush of adrenaline she had just experienced. She _had_ been trapped in his hold, in a terribly dangerous situation, and for a few split seconds, she hadn't done anything!

"Angel! Angel what happened?" Forrest's voice came over her headset.

"Everything is arranged or tomorrow night. They're coming to dinner," Angel said, her voice quivering.

"What happened to you? What did he do?" Forrest demanded.

"Nothing," Angel said quickly. "Just…took care of a cut, that's all."

"Angel…"

"Forrest, I'm not going to talk about it now. I'm headed back to my house. I'll meet you there."

Forrest and a whole crew of police officers were waiting in the studio building when Angel arrived. They immediately saw the cut on her lip, and Forrest nearly panicked when she told him how Ghost had stopped the bleeding. She explained, tactfully, some of the feelings that had flowed through her at that moment, trying to inform them more on how the vampires' victims must have felt before they were killed, but the men only looked at her with arched eyebrows and aloof grins.

It took forty-five minutes for Angel to explain everything before the police left. As soon as they were gone, Angel wearily made her way to the elevator and then unlocked her studio door when it reached her floor. She let out a screech when she saw a man already waiting in her living area, and then let out a sigh of relief when she saw that it was Jaden, seated comfortably on her couch, reading a book by lamplight.

"Angel! You're back!" he exclaimed, leaping off the couch and running to her. "And you were hurt!" he said, studying her lip.

"I'm fine, really," Angel yawned. "It was quite a night."

"You saw Ghost?"

"More closely than I would have liked," Angel nodded, and she turned to go into her room, but Jaden grabbed her wrist, stopping her.

"What did he do?" he demanded, a firm, harsh look in his eyes.

"Cleaned up my scratch," she said, indicating the cut on her lip.

"And probably took a whole bunch of blood along with it," Jaden said worriedly.

"I'm still alive and well, Jaden. The vampires are coming over tomorrow night for dinner. I'd like you to be here," she said, smiling up at him reassuringly.

"They're all coming _here_?" he asked with a frown.

"Yes. Some of the police are going to be here as well. We're going to serve them steaks. I'm going to need your help, since I don't do a good job cooking steaks," Angel nodded. "And I want you to be here, so I can feel a little more comfortable. Would you please help me with this?"

"If you think I'm just going to stay next door at my apartment while you serve and play hostess to a flock of vampires, you've got to be joking. Of course I'll be here," Jaden nodded, folding his arms across his chest.

"I knew I could count on you. Thanks," Angel smiled. "I'll see you later, at classes. I have to get to bed. I'm exhausted."

"Can I leave Crimson with you again?" Jaden asked.

"I think I'll be safe tonight, Jaden. I really told Ghost off. But if you'd feel more comfortable leaving him here, then sure."

Jaden nodded and then left to get Crimson.

While he was gone, Angel took a quick shower, got changed into warm pajamas, and then went into her kitchen to make a mug of hot chocolate. She was cold, and she knew it wasn't just from the temperature of the room. The room was very warm with the heater on high. Ghost had chilled her, had unnerved her, and had certainly allured her. His touch had been cold, but so full of heat, Angel just couldn't understand it. And his voice, that deep, seductive voice…

Crimson suddenly bounded into the room, Jaden right behind him.

"I'm leaving now," Jaden said, watching Crimson bound into Angel's bedroom, which was artfully closed off from the rest of the studio by a few short walls. He could see over the walls from here, catching sight of Crimson jumping up onto Angel's bed. "If you need anything, call me."

"I will," Angel smiled and then reached out and gave his hand a squeeze. "Thank you for everything, Jay."

He smiled weakly and then left, locking the door and then closing it behind him.

Angel drank her cocoa and then moved to her bed and snuggled beneath her blankets, trying to warm her cold body. She prayed fervently, as she fell asleep, that the next night wouldn't be the nightmare she was expecting.


	5. Garlic

**Chapter Four: Garlic**

Classes and rehearsals went well, as usual, the next day. Rachel was somewhat drunk, having stayed out all the previous night at a bar, and sadly, it made for an amusing spectacle. Not only was the princess prideful and stubborn, but also she was giddy and giggly, and it was hard to keep a straight face when watching her. Mr. Gregory went to Angel after rehearsals were over and pleaded with her to talk to Rachel, asking her why she kept getting intoxicated. Rachel and Angel had spent some time together during the beginning of classes, when they first met, and Angel was generally on good terms with everyone, so it would be far simpler for her to talk to Rachel than anyone else.

So, after rehearsals were over, Angel found Rachel in the dressing room, pulling on a leather jacket over her low-cut shirt.

"Hey Rachel," Angel smiled, sitting down on a chair. "It's been awhile since we last spoke."

"Yeah, well, that's because you're so naïve and never want to spend time with me," Rachel said, brushing her hair quickly.

"I've been worried about you, though."

"You would," Rachel snorted. "You're always concerned about everyone."

"Your late night habits are ruining your performance in rehearsals," Angel said softly. "Why do you keep staying out so late at the clubs? I'm sure you know what it's doing to you."

"I met a guy, okay? You wouldn't know a thing about that, since the only guy you ever hang around with is that nerd of a prince," Rachel said, rolling her eyes.

"What kind of guy?" Angel asked, immediately interested.

"Dark, handsome, charming, and fully absorbed with me," Rachel sighed. "Again, you wouldn't understand."

"What's his name?"

"Oh, what's in a name, as Juliet so wonderfully asked?" Rachel grinned, zipping up her jacket.

"A lot is in a name," Angel frowned. "Do you see him every night?"

"Every night," Rachel nodded. "I guess I do stay out too late, though. You're right. I just like spending time with him, that's all. I'll work on it."

"So has he asked you out or anything?" Angel asked, curious.

"Nope. I went to him first," Rachel smiled dreamily. "I saw those gorgeous green eyes of his and just fell in love. One of those love at first sight things, you know?"

"Um, sure," Angel nodded. "Just try and come to school when you aren't woozy, okay? We worry about you. You're our friend, and we don't want to see you hurt or a mess."

"You're so sweet, Angel," Rachel smiled. "I'll be fine. Don't worry."

Angel followed Rachel out of the room and then met Jaden at the entranceway.

"Well? How'd that go?" Jaden asked, beginning to walk back to their apartments with her.

"She's been seeing some guy at a club," Angel frowned.

"Is that a surprise? She is Rachel, after all," Jaden smiled.

"She doesn't know his name and she was drawn to him He never had to go to her," Angel frowned.

"Again, this is Rachel we're talking about," Jaden laughed.

"I know, but there was something Ghost said, about women being drawn to the vampires without them having to do anything. I don't like it. If I weren't feeding the vampires tonight, I'd go check on Rachel. I know which club she goes to," Angel said.

"Is it really your responsibility to follow her around? She's an adult. She knows what she's doing," Jaden interposed.

"She's my friend, and I don't want her to get hurt," Angel sighed. "Let's stop at the butcher's. I need to get some meat."

Night found Angel, Forrest, Cpt. George, and Jaden in Angel's studio, preparing a meal for the vampires. Angel hurried about, opening the oven, pulling out a tray of steaks, and then putting another tray in.

"I hope thirty steaks will satisfy them," she sighed, wiping her hands on her apron before she went to work again, mashing a large bowl of potatoes. "And they probably don't like mashed potatoes, but if they eat all the steak, then we'll at least have something to eat."

"I think you went overboard with this," Jaden said, seasoning the steaks. "Thirty steaks? How many are coming?"

"I have no idea, but I'm guessing they eat a lot," Angel said.

There was a knock on the door, and Forrest went to it and opened it.

"Come in, come in," he ushered.

One by one, Angel's guests filed in. She was amazed when each man, strong, powerful, and dark as night, stopped before her, bowed low, and actually told her their names.

The first to introduce himself was Whisper. He looked to be the youngest of the group, with piercing blue eyes, icy and chilling, and jet black hair, glistening slightly in the lighting. Then there was Baron, Drake, Bartholomew, Christopher, Adrian, and Dorian. Each greeted Angel with a bow and his name, and then they all sat down on her couches, watching her with dark, scrutinizing eyes. They seemed to wonder what exactly it was they were up against, and so they watched her silently.

"I have thirty steaks here, and a whole batter of mashed potatoes," Angel said, smiling weakly. "Go ahead and eat."

"Mashed potatoes. What is in them?" Baron asked coolly.

"Um, butter, milk, potatoes, and…" Angel paused and flushed. "Garlic."

"I think we'll pass on the potatoes," Dorian said, getting up and walking over to the table.

Angel noted, as he got his food, that he looked a good deal like what she imagined Dorian Gray to look like. He had the dark hair, the trim beard and moustache, and glittering, beautiful brown eyes. He also had rather a tempting smirk, and he winked at her as he got his food, as though sensing her curiosity.

"Yes, I have read 'Dorian Gray' before," he grinned, his teeth shining.

"No similar traits, I hope?" Angel asked, feeling, suddenly, that she was warming up to these dangerous men. They had a politeness, calm, and humor about them that she found comfortable.

"Oh, I find myself to be devastatingly handsome, in more ways than one," Dorian winked.

Angel watched the men continuing to eat, quiet for the most part, except for an occasional comment. She could tell they were uncomfortable because of the police, but they remained composed and still.

"So why exactly are you doing this for us?" Whisper asked when he was finished eating five steaks. "There has to be some reason you're willing to feed us in your studio."

"We'd like…" Forrest began, but Christopher cut him off.

"We were asking the girl."

"We were informed this was your idea," Bartholomew added.

"I just…wanted to come to an understanding," Angel struggled, put on the spot. "And I want you to stop feeding off women. Isn't there something else you can eat besides blood? I want you to stop killing and terrorizing innocent people, that's all. If you can live here without murdering anyone, than you can live here in peace."

Adrian chuckled, shaking his head.

"You truly have no understanding of vampires," he said. "Ghost told us that."

"We live off of blood, human blood," Dorian said, standing up and leaning against the couch. "Bats have to eat at least their body weight in food every day, as do vampires. Blood is what sustains us."

"But it's wrong!" Angel exclaimed.

"Just because we have to, doesn't mean we like to," Whisper said calmly. "If you think we like killing people, you're very mistaken."

"As for our victims being innocent," Bartholomew chuckled, "I should say they are anything but. We are warded off by purity and innocence, just as the light from your necklace wards us off. You have that powerful purity with you, hence the reason we can all calmly look at you without wanting to taste you."

"That, and Ghost has already claimed you," Dorian shrugged.

"What?" Jaden gasped.

"Outside of those women that aren't pure, we find one that suits our fancy, a beautiful, pure, innocent one that we truly care for," Christopher explained. "Somehow, Miss Angel struck Ghost as being that one. It must be because you defied him and he now looks upon you as a challenge."

"You don't only attack the impure," Angel countered, beginning to shudder uncontrollably. "Young girls have died at your hands, and don't tell me they went out of their way to be close to any of you."

"That is our concern," Adrian spoke. "And you have no power over it."

"Explain to Ghost that he will never win me over," Angel said, her eyes glowing. "Tell him I think him to be a coward for not coming here tonight and that I will continue to defy him until all of you are forced to look for your prey elsewhere."

"You're the one who's afraid," Whisper said, seeing her trembling. "You're terrorized of us, as are the police, because even if you were to attempt to catch us all now, together in this room, you would fail. We are too powerful for you, and too hungry for you to control."

"Can't you get blood without killing anyone?" Angel pleaded, feeling that this whole conversation was getting out of hand, especially as the vampires began to stand up, towering over her.

"It's not that simple," Christopher sighed. "Once we start drinking, we need more, so our fangs sink in deeper, inserting venom, and our prey dies. And there is certain pleasure in that sensation, unfortunately. The women usually react quite…oh, what's the word?"

"Invitingly," Dorian helped. "They want us to do more, to get deeper. We're quite the romantic creatures, and they know it and love it. Of course, when they die, they never know what hit them. They just spent the last hour completely brainless."

"You're deplorable!" Angel gasped. "How can you do that to people?"

"To each his own ways, dear," Adrian said, beginning to lead the men towards the door. "Thank you for inviting us over. Would you care to feed us again tomorrow night? I think we will last that upcoming twenty-four hours without needing human blood."

"Yes! Yes! If it can stop you from killing people, then by all means come!" Angel exclaimed.

"Very good. Thank you, Miss Angel," Whisper said, and then led the others out into the hallway.

Dorian lagged behind a bit, and he turned to Angel and he neared the door.

"I was instructed to give you a message from Ghost," he said with a smug smile. "He apologizes for not being here and wishes you the best of luck in attempting to keep up from being the parasites we are."

"You can tell him…" Angel stormed, infuriated that Ghost really thought he could just claim her.

"Tut tut," Dorian spoke, abruptly putting his fingers to her lips. "My message isn't finished yet."

He grabbed Angel's right hand, bowed low, and then pressed his cold lips to her soft skin. Her eyes widened, and she froze in place as he stood up, winked again, and then left.

"The…the obnoxious twats!" Jaden stammered as the door closed behind Dorian.

"Well, we certainly learned a good deal," Cpt. George spoke. "Looks like you really will have a stalker, Angel."

"What should I do?" she shouted. "I don't want Ghost to follow me around!"

"I think the vampires were mocking you," Forrest said quietly. "They were trying to intimidate you. They always do. Vampires go after any women, not just the impure, and not just one that is innocent. They also kill men and children. They're nothing but bloodthirsty cannibals. Let us hope that they will continue eating here. Perhaps it really will stop them from eating blood."

"I doubt it," Jaden scowled. "Angel," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "I'm worried about you."

"They can't stand my light. I'll just keep using it," Angel sighed.

"And what if they should find a way to crush it? Then what?" Cpt. George frowned.

"I can't live my life in fear," Angel sighed. "You need me to be here. Obviously, the vampires consider me to be some sort of mediator between them and the police. We now have some communication established. Perhaps we will be able to find a true way to destroy them. I can't believe they eat blood and prey off women for food! Ugh!"

"Miserable creatures," Jaden muttered. "I'm going to spend as much time with you as possible now, Angel. I don't want you to be by yourself often, unless you're in your studio."

"I agree. The whole thing with Ghost was probably a threat, but just to be safe, you need to stay with someone at almost all times," Forrest nodded. "Me or Jaden."

"I understand," Angel sighed, beginning to clean up the kitchen. "Potatoes, anyone?"


	6. Bloodthirsty

**Chapter Five: Bloodthirsty**

The following afternoon, Friday, found Angel alone, walking back to her studio from the bookstore. Jaden had work on this particular afternoon, so she was left alone to amuse herself, and she found the bookstore to be a safe and warm place. She had spent two hours there, and now, at 9:00, she was making her way back home.

She passed a bar as she did so and then stopped and gazed up at the sign.

"Mickey's Sports Bar and Grill," it read.

Angel paced for a few seconds, thinking deeply, and then turned and walked into the bar, hoping to find Rachel.

It was loud, loud and smelly, and Angel immediately felt uncomfortable. She didn't belong in this type of place, but she was bound and determined to find Rachel and the man she was supposedly entranced with. She moved over to the bar counter, ignoring the gazes of drunken men as she did so, and then spoke to the bartender.

"Excuse me," she smiled politely. "I'm looking for a girl about my age, a few inches taller than I am, with curly blonde hair and big brown eyes. She's often in here."

"Yeah. Rachel is in the back," the man said, indicating the back door with his thumb.

"The back?" Angel asked worriedly.

"Yeah. In the alley."

"But it's freezing out there!" Angel declared.

"She didn't seem to mind," the man shrugged. "She had company. She probably doesn't want to be interrupted."

"Oh my goodness," Angel breathed and then rushed towards the back door. She flung it open and stepped briskly into the snow. She turned her head and immediately saw Rachel, pressed against a building wall, a tall, dark-haired man standing before her. They were kissing like there was no tomorrow, and Angel felt her stomach churn.

"Rachel," she called, walking uncomfortably towards her friend. "Rachel!" she shouted, trying to interrupt the woman's preoccupied mind.

Rachel didn't so much as look at her, but the man before her turned his head and smirked, fangs glistening in the light, his eyes dark and evil.

"Oh no!" Angel shouted, rummaging for her necklace. As she struggled, she caught sight of two things that unnerved her. One was a man, lying limp and still on the ground not too far from Rachel, blood at his neck. The other, far more terrifying to Angel than that was the blood streaming from Rachel's neck that the woman didn't seem to notice. The vampire turned his attention back to Rachel, kissing her while at the same time gathering her blood into his mouth, and she was returning the affection with all the passion she could muster.

"Get away!" Angel screamed, pulling her necklace out, light immediately streaming into the alley. "Get away from her immediately!"

The vampire drew back, his teeth bared and his gray eyes glowing angrily.

"So you're the one with the light," he growled, folding his arms across his chest.

"Help!" Angel screamed, knowing there were some police not too far from there. "Fire! Fire!"

"You think police will be able to help you?" the vampire asked, watching as Angel began to walk towards him with the light.

She wanted to get close to him, close enough to shove that light in his face, but before she could get near enough to do it, a hand reached out and grabbed her boot, making her fall hard to her knees. She screamed again, watching as the vampire turned and disappeared into the darkness. She continued screaming for help as she struggled out of the grasp of her captor and ran towards Rachel, who was leaning against the wall, her eyes closed in bliss.

"Rachel!" Angel wailed, turning her head to see that the man who had been limp and then grabbed her boot was now climbing to his feet.

"Angel," Whisper's voice spoke as he got to his feet. "There's nothing you can do."

Angel stopped in front of Rachel and shoved her hands onto her friend's shoulders. "Rachel!" she shouted, hearing police sirens in the distance.

"What?" Rachel snapped, opening her eyes angrily. "Why did you interrupt us? That was the best time of my life, and you interrupted it!"

"I was…was…"

"Some friend you are!" Rachel shouted. "Snooping around in my business!"

She snarled and then pushed herself off the wall.

"Now he'll never talk to me again!"

"Did he ever talk to you to begin with?" Angel screamed.

"How dare you talk to me like that!" Rachel shouted, and then suddenly fell back, gasping.

"Move!" Whisper shouted, shoving Angel aside and grabbing Rachel as she began to slide to the ground, her eyes wide.

"What are you doing?" Angel panicked, watching Whisper shove his mouth against Rachel's throat. He didn't answer, but tried to stay standing up, drawing her blood. He was too weak from his own injuries, however, and fell, unable to stand. Rachel then gazed at Angel, her eyes wide with panic.

"Angel, what's happening?" she gasped, unable to breathe, choking on the blood in her throat.

"That was a vampire!" Angel exclaimed, grabbing her friend as she fell to the floor.

"I was with a vampire?" Rachel asked.

"Yes, yes, that's why you were so attracted to him. Oh Rachel, I don't know how to stop it," Angel panicked, looking up when she heard someone running down the alleyway.

Three police appeared, and as they did so, Whisper struggled to his feet and raced down the alley, disappearing from sight.

"What happened?" one of the men asked, dropping down next to Rachel, noticing immediately that her face was being rapidly depleted of its coloring.

"She was bit by a vampire," Angel choked, holding her friend's hand tightly as Rachel began to moan in pain.

"But it felt…so…good…" Rachel struggled and then slumped over.

"Rachel!" Angel screamed, cradling the woman in her arms. "Rachel! Police, do something!"

"What can we do?" the officer asked sadly, putting his ear to Rachel's chest. "She's dead."

"No!" Angel screamed, her eyes wide with terror. "No! It's impossible! She couldn't just die! She's alive! I know it!"

"Miss Angel," the officer spoke quietly. "She was bit, he inserted his venom, and she's dead. They do everything they can to leave no witnesses behind. Be grateful he spared your life."

"But she's not dead!" Angel blubbered, tears streaming down her cheeks as she gazed at the ashen, cold face of the woman in her arms, and watching, nearly blind, as blood trickled from the woman's mouth. "It can't be! Not so quickly!"

"We need to bring her to the station, to see if we can possibly find who did this and get more clues," the officer said, taking Angel's arm and pulling her to her feet. Angel nearly refused to let Rachel go, but the dead woman slipped from her arms and landed gently in the snow, the white coldness painted scarlet about her.

Angel stood there, for how long, she didn't know. She watched with dull eyes as Rachel's body was covered and taken away, watched the snow fall, covering the blood on the ground in a thick layer of white.

"Angel," a gentle voice spoke from behind her, and a hand was placed on her shoulder.

With a great moan, Angel spun around and fell into Jaden's arms, quivering and crying terribly. She clung to him tightly, afraid of the night, afraid of the vampires, terrorized that they were going to hunt her down next.

"Shh… It's all right," Jaden whispered, his fingers stroking through her hair, his heart aching as she clung so fiercely to him. "You're safe."

"No I'm not! You should have seen it! It was only a couple of minutes before she died! Oh, I hate the vampires!" Angel said fiercely. "I hate them!"

"No you don't. You couldn't hate anyone," Jaden said soothingly.

"But they killed her! After I made that deal with Ghost…"

She stopped mid sentence and then pulled away from Jaden.

"Ghost," she said fiercely, her eyes darkening.

"Angel, it's late in the night now. I know what you're thinking," Jaden said quickly. "Come on. Let's get you home before anything worse happens."

"No," Angel said adamantly. "I'm going to find him."

"Angel, you've seen a lot tonight. I don't think you're in the frame of mind to encounter him now. And you have the others to feed…"

"There's no better time than now, when I'm furious," Angel stormed and then wrapped her arms around her chest, cold. "I'll be back at my studio soon, Jay. If I'm not back in time for the vampires, then please take care of them. There are provisions in my refrigerator."

"Angel, I can't let you do this!" Jaden said, grabbing her forcefully. "You'll get yourself killed!"

"Let me go!" Angel struggled. "Please, Jaden, I have to do this for Rachel and every other woman they've preyed on! They can't keep doing this!"

She pulled away and then began to run, leaving Jaden standing worriedly in the snow.

Angel ran as fast as she could, rushing through the snow, barely able to breathe from the exertion of her flight. How dare he! How dare that Ghost kill another person after they had already made their deal! The traitor, the scumbag, the parasite!

As Angel ran, barely looking where she was going, she gazed up at the rooftops, looking for the dark shadow of a man in a billowing cloak. Everything seemed silent to her as she surged on. The snow drowned out most of the city sounds, and she was running in the back alleys, far away from noise. She was quickly losing her breath, but she didn't care. For the sake of all of New York's women, she would find that vampire and give him a good piece of her mind!

She saw him, fifteen minutes later, standing atop one of New York's tallest buildings, gazing out at his domain. She used a garbage can to get onto the fire escape of the building, and then began to run, sliding precariously on the ice and snow, up the stairs to the roof. Her hands burned from the cold, uncovered by gloves, as her fingers brushed against the frozen railings. Her cheeks were fiery pink from the biting chill, and her long hair was wild and loose, as wild as a horse's from her running.

She was out of breath when she arrived on the roof, but she didn't give herself a chance to breathe. Instead, she rushed at Ghost, whose back was turned towards her, and then grabbed hold of his shoulder and spun him around.

"You listen, you monster!" she screamed, trying to shake him but finding that he wouldn't budge. "I made a deal with you! Food in exchange for the lives of humans! You betrayed my trust, our deal, and let one of your men, or maybe it was you yourself, feed off one of my friends! She's dead, Ghost! You killed her! I hope you're proud of yourself."

"Listen here," he spoke, his voice low and bitingly cold, threatening and intimidating, not a trace of sympathy or kindness to it. He grabbed her hands roughly, forcing them off his shoulders, and then forced her back, his steps long and provocative. "How come you to so easily accuse me of murder?"

"You killed Rachel!" Angel screamed, fighting him every step of the way, more tears streaming down her cheeks. "You killed her, you bloodthirsty, wicked beast!"

Her back slammed hard against an icy wall, and she let out a cry of pain as the ice pressed hard against her back like daggers. She was slumped slightly, letting Ghost tower above her. Jaden had been right. This was not at all the time for her to approach the vampire. She was shaking like a flower in a windstorm. Her lips were trembling, her whole body was quivering, and her eyes were filled to the brim with tears.

"Don't touch me!" she screamed as Ghost raised a gloved hand and put it to her frosty cheek. "I've seen enough death for one night!"

"Did you think this plague would completely skip over you?" he asked. "Vampires need blood to live, or did you not already hear that?"

"By why Rachel? He took advantage of her! Your man took advantage of her!" Angel sobbed.

"That wasn't one of my men. Did it ever occur to you that there are more vampires than just the ones loyal to me in New York?" Ghost asked, tracing her fine cheekbone with his fingers.

"Who was it then?" Angel hissed, feeling her weakness intensifying as he stroked her face.

"An enemy of ours. Whisper was there trying to stop him. When he pressed his mouth to your friend's throat, he was trying to draw the venom out, to save her. He failed. There is death and pain in this world, Miss Angel. You humans are blessed in that you have a choice for eternity, heaven or hell."

"Everyone has a choice," Angel said, closing her eyes against his touch, an immense headache draining away from her with every stroke.

"Not the vampires," Ghost said, shaking his head and tracing the cut on her lip with his forefinger. "We are creatures of darkness. We have but one destination."

"Is there anything anyone can do to stop those other vampires?" Angel asked, feeling herself drifting into sleep.

"Perhaps, if you ask nicely, I could try and speak with them," Ghost chuckled, seeing her ease into his charm.

A piece of snow landed on Angel's nose, and her eyes opened. She suddenly realized how close Ghost was, how terribly close she had let him get, and she began to struggle in his hold.

"Get away from me!" she gasped, remembering the blood pouring from Rachel's neck. "How can I believe you? Get away!"

She gasped and cried as she fought him, and finally, she reached for her necklace. She pulled the diamond out, but before she could open her hand to let it shine, Ghost had clasped his hand over hers, engulfing her small hand in his gloved one. He held her hand tightly, nearly crushing her fingers in his hold.

"What do you want from me?" Angel wailed, her hand beginning to hurt and her body to quake. "What have I done to you?"

"Stop fighting. You cannot win," Ghost hissed as she tried to dig the nails of her free hand into his skin.

"You're nothing but a predator! Let me go!"

"You've had a long night. You need to rest," Ghost soothed, his voice washing gently over her. "You can't think clearly. You'll wake up tomorrow and think this was all a dream."

"How could I do that?" Angel demanded, still trying to pull away. "It all seems very real."

"I want you to get some sleep."

"You would want me to! That way you can suck all the blood out of me like your man did Rachel!"

"I have no appetite for a woman who's already in too much pain," Ghost growled. "Stop thrashing and let your body rest."

"Never!" Angel screamed.

"Then you give me no choice."

He sighed, lifted his right hand, and then brought it to bear, hard, against her head. She slumped immediately, but before she could hit the cold ground, he had swept her up into his arms. He then swirled his cloak about him and disappeared, her safely (if that word could indeed be used given the situation) carried in his arms. They appeared, seconds later, in her studio, and Ghost carried her towards her bed, his long cloak sliding across the floor as he did so.

He placed her gently on her bed, pulling the blankets over her. She was so beautiful, so innocent to him, and so helpless. Certainly, she had her necklace, and he was half tempted to take it from her, but there was a prophecy concerning this woman, and he had no desire to ruin that foretelling. He gazed over her pale face, now so peaceful in rest, and his eyes came to rest on her neck. He wouldn't dare lower himself to catch her scent, wouldn't dare get close to her for fear of killing her. She already intoxicated him without him being too terribly close to her. Her character and her mind fascinated him. Feed the vampires so they would stop killing? How absurd and yet, absolutely brilliant! And she tried so hard not to be afraid of him. But he loved it when she trembled. She had a healthy fear of him, just as he had an impossible respect for this weak mortal woman.


	7. Looming Menace

VI

Morning came, bringing with it the smell of coffee and cocoa. Angel mumbled something in her sleep and then sat up and gasped when she saw someone busy at work in her kitchen.

"Jaden!" she exclaimed.

"Hey!" he smiled, turning around and waving. "Sorry to surprise you, but I honestly didn't think you were here. I thought you went out early. Happy Saturday!"

"Jay, Rachel was killed last night!" Angel shouted, jumping out of her bed and seeing that she was still in her clothes from the previous night.

"I know," Jaden said softly. "And from what I heard, you were there. That's why I'm here. I wanted to make you something for breakfast and then take you out for the day. The funeral's tomorrow, and I want you to be comforted until then."

"Jay, what would I do without you?" Angel smiled, moving towards him and giving him a small hug. "You always know how to take care of me."

"You may want to get cleaned up. I have some good plans for the day," Jaden smiled, noticing the blood on her shirt and skirt.

"What are we going to do?" Angel asked, headed towards her dresser to get some new clothes.

"A brief optometrist appointment, an afternoon in Central Park, and a night in Broadway," Jaden grinned. "Sound good to you?"

"It sounds wonderful," Angel nodded, and then rushed into her bathroom.

The feeling of hot water coursing against her body comforted her like nothing else could. She had time to think, time to pray, and she could almost feel all the coldness and blood from last night dripping off her with the soothing water. She was no longer afraid from last night, but she was puzzled over what had happened. Had she simply fainted? What had happened that she awoke this morning to find herself in bed, still in her clothes from the previous night? She couldn't remember anything after Ghost spoke to her.

Once she was finished showering, Angel got into her new clothes for the day, a simple deep blue dress, good for walking around in and staying warm. She dried her hair with her towel, to the best of her ability, and then went into her small dining area to find eggs, bacon, and toast already waiting on the table.

"Your chair, madam," Jaden grinned, bowing deeply and pulling her chair out for her.

Jaden did everything he could to occupy Angel's mind, knowing that, were she given a moment to think, she would panic or be miserable over Rachel's death. Angel did a splendid acting job, pretending that she wasn't at all thinking of Rachel, but of course her mind was on her deceased friend and her murderer.

The optometrist was ready for Jaden when he arrived at the office with Angel a short while later. Jaden was immediately ushered into a room, where he brought Angel, and then the doctor began his examination. Jaden winced fiercely when a light was shined in his eyes, and he had trouble with the eye drops, but he took it all like a pro, and finally, twenty minutes later, he sat back and waited for the doctor's verdict.

"Well," the doctor said slowly, sitting down next to Jaden. "I'm afraid your blindness is coming on a whole lot faster than expected."

"What do you mean?" Angel asked worriedly.

"I can only see shadows now," Jaden said calmly. "We knew this was coming. Just not so soon."

"But there has to be some way to correct it!" Angel gasped. "It's nearly impossible for someone to go blind now! What with all the technology we have!"

"Sometimes things happen, Angel," Jaden said quietly. "It'll be all right."

Angel bit her lip and stayed quiet, though her heart was bleeding. He couldn't see. Jaden, her best friend, couldn't see. When she needed his sight and know-how the most, he couldn't see.

She remained silent as they left the office and then made their way leisurely through Central Park. Angel gazed at her friend's handsome features as they walked, noting the way the sun hit the red highlights in his golden hair, making them glisten, sparkling like a crown. His fine nose always entranced her, his high cheekbones, his desirous lips, and his beautiful eyes, those eyes that could no longer see.

"Angel, I'm fine," Jaden said easily. "I know you have trouble believing that, since I'm going blind, but I assure you, I'll be okay."

She nodded, gulping back a cry as she did so. He then stopped and turned abruptly, putting his hands on her shoulders and making her stop.

"Shh…" he said comfortingly, putting his thumbs to her cheeks. "Don't cry for me."

"But it's so unfair!" Angel sniffed, bowing her head as the tears coursed down. "I need you to see for me, Jay, to let me know what you think about things, to watch out for me."

"And I still will. I always will," he assured her gently. "As far as I'm concerned, you're my girl."

"Yours and Ghost's both," she cried, trying to smile through her tears. "I must just be drop dead gorgeous."

He didn't answer, but she looked up to see his eyes gazing down steadily into her face, seeing her, but just barely. His hazel eyes pierced into her very soul, and for the first time since meeting him, Angel felt shy. She didn't know how to respond to him. Was she really as exposed as he made her feel?

"You're terrified that you'll yield to that vampire," Jaden said slowly when he finally spoke again. "You don't think you'll be able to stand against him."

"Not with how close he gets," Angel trembled, shaking her head. "Just his closeness seems to make me freeze."

"It's how many creatures stalk their prey," Jaden said, taking her arm in his and beginning to walk again. "They hypnotize them and then go in for the kill. Before the victim knows what has happened, they're dead."

"I don't want to be one of the victims," Angel whispered. "And I'm so afraid I'll end up that way."

"For right now, don't worry about it," Jaden said, stopping at a hot dog stand. "I know we just ate, but hot dog before the play?"

"How can you put up with me?" Angel asked, watching him point out his choice of toppings to the vendor. "I'm such a pain."

"No you aren't," Jaden smiled. "You're a beautiful, intellectual girl who has more than her share of difficulty, like every human does, including me. Now, for this afternoon, I want you to enjoy yourself. No more talk about vampires or blindness. We're going to see a play, and then we're going to get back home just in time to make dinner for your guests. I'll be with you the entire time. You'll be fine."

He handed her a hot dog and then grinned.

"Let me see that smile, Angel."

Angel smiled weakly, and he shook his head, laughing.

"That was a fake one. I want a real one. One of your glowing, gorgeous smiles."

"How can you tell when I'm smiling?" Angel asked, tears glistening in her eyes.

"I can hear it in your voice."

"But I didn't just tell you anything."

"Listen, I've known you long enough to know when you're smiling or not," Jaden grinned, resting his elbow on her shoulder. "Come on."

She smiled then, for his sake, and he put his fingertips on her lips and nodded.

"There it is. I didn't think you'd have a true smile that first time."

"That was cheating!" Angel laughed, elbowing him gently in the stomach.

"But it worked. I have a song for you. It's such a beautiful day, we need a song," Jaden grinned, leading her towards Broadway.

"A song?" Angel chuckled, watching him start high stepping, like some show horse.

"Sure. Here it goes.

Come walking with me, I want you to see our Main Street.

You'll know the whole town, by just walking down our Main Street.

There's the corner where the boys hang out…"

He waved his hand towards one of the streets for emphasis.

"…As each girl goes by they rate her.

Whistle, and try to date her, later.

Baby are you going steady?

And then we can stop, and chat with a cop on Main Street.

He made an arrest, way back in 1903.

He'll ask me who is the pretty stranger.

How proud I'm gonna be

When you walk down Main Street with me."*

To Angel's surprise, he downed the rest of his hot dog, took her hands in his, and then began to waltz. She couldn't stop laughing as they waltzed, she clumsily and he elegantly, people watching them, grinning.

They danced and skipped about, like young children, until they got to the theater Jaden wanted.

"The Majestic" where "The Phantom of the Opera" played.

"Jaden!" Angel gasped, turning to look up at him. "You didn't…"

"I know you love the Phantom," Jaden sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "I guess it's his voice the chicks dig. I'll never know. I know he's a bit dark, and you've been having to deal with a whole bunch of that lately, but I thought you'd enjoy it."

"So long as you don't mention Ghost's name at all during the show, I'll be great. Thank you so much!" Angel exclaimed as he opened the theater door for her.

"You're welcome," he smiled, and then followed her into the theater.

Angel was in a much better mood that night when she finished cooking the burgers for dinner and put them out on her kitchen table in her studio. Forrest and Jaden were there, frying up some French fries, as Angel didn't quite know how to do those to her satisfaction. Not that the vampires would be eating any of the fries, but still…

Angel hummed and did a little dance as she set out the last platter of burgers, and then she pirouetted and moved towards the door when she heard a knock.

She opened the door, and her gaiety somewhat vanquished when she saw the vampires standing there, waiting.

"Well, someone looks flushed. Happy to see me?" Dorian asked, stepping into the studio.

Whisper, right behind Dorian, immediately saw where Angel's eyes were looking. She was gazing at his neck and the swollen, pussy marks that were there. Quickly, he flipped his collar up, trying to hide the marks, but the damage had already been done.

Rachel locked in death's embrace. Blood pooling from her ashen skin. The vampire with the dark eyes. Whisper pressing his mouth to Rachel, trying, supposedly, to revive her. The young actress dying in Angel's arms…

"We made burgers tonight. Hope you don't mind," Jaden said, putting his hand on Angel's shoulder and turning her towards the kitchen.

"I want to hear who killed Rachel," Angel spoke firmly, gesturing to the food. "Help yourselves."

"Whisper and Ghost would know who that was better than anyone else," Bartholomew said easily, putting several of the burgers on his plate.

"How would Ghost know?" Angel demanded.

"Ghost knows just about everything," Christopher shrugged.

"It would be best for all of you humans if you never knew who it was," Whisper said easily. "I have no intentions of telling you."

"Can you at least tell me what happened?" Angel exclaimed, exasperated.

"It's all quite simple," Whisper said, taking a bite of his burger. "Your friend Rachel was getting drunk in that club, and she was flirting incessantly with our vampire friend, whom, by the way, she'd been seeing for over a month, but never spoke to. His inviting presence, as well as her drunkenness, led to what you saw happening in the back alley. He had been trying to take advantage of her for months, and he succeeded. I tried to intervene, but this particular vampire has…"

He stopped for a moment, trying to think.

"Powerful allies," Adrian said for him.

"Exactly," Whisper nodded. "For my efforts, I got hurt and your friend was killed. It's all very simple."

"You had been watching him for months, and you never stopped him then?" Forrest asked, a frown on his face.

"There are darker forces than just what you have seen. You've seen nothing yet, Angel," Dorian said darkly. "The absence of light you've seen, the violence, is nothing compared to what there truly is. And contrary to human beliefs, yes, vampires do have enemies amongst themselves. Unfortunately, they rarely die."

"How great are your enemies?" Jaden asked quietly.

"You saw that bite on Whisper's neck. You decide for yourself," Baron shrugged.

"I didn't see it," Jaden said gently.

"I beg your pardon?" Drake snorted.

"He's blind," Angel said sadly.

"Oh. Thank God that you are. You don't need to see all the happenings now," Bartholomew spoke.

"We hear you and Ghost had an encounter last night," Whisper said, sitting back easily, his food already gone.

"What?" Forrest snapped.

"Angel?" Jaden exclaimed.

"Your wording is horrendous," Angel said, surprised by her friends' immediate concern. "We didn't do anything. You know I went after Ghost," she said, gesturing to Jaden. "I did see him, yes."

"Got rather close, too," Dorian chuckled.

"Stop it!" Angel snapped. "Nothing happened!"

"You just fainted dead into his arms," Christopher nodded, tapping his fingers against the table.

"Where is he, anyway?" Angel asked.

"Why? You want to see him?" Bartholomew asked, an eyebrow arched.

"Argh! Just stop it!" she exclaimed. "I want to know what he's going to do about Rachel!"

"Nothing," Whisper shrugged. "What can he do? Bring her back from the dead? Unfortunately, though he has a great deal of power, he can't do that. And you really don't want to see him right now."

"What do you mean?" Angel frowned.

"He was rather tempted by you last night," Baron said with a shrug. "There are certain needs a vampire has, and he was half tempted to take care of those needs."

"Are you men finished eating?" Forrest asked.

"Of course," Christopher nodded.

"Great. You can leave now."

"My, my. One would almost think you didn't appreciate our company," Adrian chuckled and then led the others out of the studio.

Jaden closed the door behind them, and then both men went to Angel and began to question her.

"What happened last night?"

"Were you and Ghost alone?"

"Did he hurt you?"

"Stop it!" Angel hissed. "I'm fine! If I weren't fine, I wouldn't be here! And I'm an adult, must I remind you? I've been dealing with these vampires for quite awhile, and so far I've been quite safe! The only harm he did was hitting me over the head, but at the time, it was the nicest thing anyone could have done for me. He knocked me senseless so I'd stop worrying about Rachel."

"And what did he do after that?" Jaden demanded.

"I don't know, but he didn't hurt me," Angel sighed.

"And you know this how?" Forrest questioned.

"Because I'm alive, and aside from a bruise on my head, I'm perfectly fine. I was fully clothed when I woke up this morning with no indication that he had done anything. I think he just brought me to the studio and put me in my bed, then left me to myself."

Jaden and Forrest exchanged worried glances, and then both sighed.

"Okay, Angel," Forrest said. "I'm going to beg you to stay away from that vampire. He's the leader, you'll recall."

"How could I forget?" Angel yawned. "Look, I need to get some sleep before the funeral tomorrow. Please, let me alone. I'll be fine. Jay, thank you so much for the wonderful day. I had a great time. And both of you stop worrying! I'll be fine."

* "Main Street" – Gene Kelly


	8. Shadowed Forebodings

**I am so excited that the last chapter had two reviews! That's just awesome. Thanks everybody. :)**

VII

Angel was not fine the next morning. She awoke to a dismal, rainy day, and she was mournful and grieved as she got dressed and ready for church. She pulled on a black dress, silky and soft, but barely noticed how it looked on her as she brushed her hair and then pulled it up, out of her face. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she ate breakfast, and she wiped at her face frantically when she heard a knock on her door.

"Angel, can I come in?" Jaden's voice asked.

Angel nodded, her throat too pained from crying for her to speak.

Jaden opened the door and immediately went to her. Without a word, he knelt behind her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. She placed her hands over his and let the sobs come.

"I can't go today," Angel cried, her makeup smudging and getting all over her fingers. "I just can't."

"I know," Jaden whispered, helping her out of her chair and then pulling her into a true hug. "I know, Angel."

"Why did she have to die? Why did they take her?"

She buried her face in his jacket, letting all of her pain get out now, before she had to go to the cemetery and watch Rachel's family as the young woman was laid to rest.

Jaden held her close as she cried, letting her get all her tears out. He didn't say anything, but gently rubbed her back and rocked her in his arms. This was his Angel, the love of his life, and it hurt him to see her so upset. It truly was sad that Rachel was gone, but more upsetting to Jaden was the fact that there were predators out to get his girl. He loved Angel, enough to gladly die for her should the opportunity arise, and he was tempted to personally find out what was endangering her and destroy it.

"We have to go, or we'll be late," Angel whispered, drawing back and wiping at her eyes. "I'm a mess."

"Somehow, I don't think you'll be the only one today," Jaden said quietly. "Come on."

He offered her his arm and she took it and let him lead her out of the building and to an awaiting taxi. Jaden did all the instructing to the driver, knowing that Angel truly couldn't speak.

When they arrived at the cemetery, Angel immediately found Rachel's family and hugged all of the members there, expressing her sadness. The funeral began then, and Angel watched, eyes lifeless and her face ashen and tear-stained, as the preacher gave Rachel's eulogy. Not a word was said about vampires. For all Angel knew, the police had effectively covered up the true story of Rachel's death, keeping her family from more grief. Images flashed through Angel's mind during the whole speech. She saw Rachel full of life and joy, waltzing about the stage, her beautiful face aglow with light. She watched again as Rachel was entirely absorbed with her murderer, clinging to him with a death grip that truly proved to be fatal. She saw her friend lying on the ground, whispering those last words, "But it felt so good." Those words were heard so often in the police world, but never with vampires. With drugs and alcohol, yes, but with vampires? How could him biting her have felt good? What with those venomous fangs, how could she possibly have been happy?

Tears began to stream steadily down Angel's cheeks as the preacher finished and she put flowers on Rachel's coffin. Her life had been taken so quickly, so senselessly. How could they do that? How could vampires willingly kill someone, and why, oh why, had Angel not been able to stop it all?

Angel couldn't bear the misery any longer. She turned and rushed away from the funeral, moving quickly through the pouring rain towards somewhere solitary and quiet. She found a large cross and stopped to gaze up at it.

"Why?" she groaned. "Why did You let this happen?"

She gazed up at the dark sky, letting the rain drench her face, wiping the tears away. She caught sight of movement from the roof of the church building nearest her, and gazed at the vampire that was sitting quietly there, his cloak billowing about his still form. She couldn't see his face, but she knew he was looking at her, studying her.

"Please," her mouth moved, her eyes red from crying. "Please do something."

She watched the vampire stand up, powerful and mighty, gazing down at her. He then cocked his head, turned, his cape flowing behind him, and disappeared.

"Angel?" Jaden's voice came, and Angel turned her head to look at him. "Oh, you poor thing," he breathed, putting his hand to her cheek and feeling her hot tears with the cold rain. "Let's get away from here, huh? We can got get some soup for lunch, maybe rent a movie, and then go to church for evening services."

"Jaden, why am I so involved with the vampires?" Angel asked, looking up at him with sad eyes. "How did this all happen?"

"I don't know," Jaden said slowly. "I guess you have a power that thrust you into a world you didn't want to be in."

"I used to be such a dreamer. I used to imagine such creatures would enter into my life, woo me, and we'd live happily ever after. But they're so evil," Angel shuddered. "Nothing like that can possibly happen."

"Enough about the vampires," Jaden said, taking her cold hand in his. "Come on. You've been here long enough."

Thunder crashed and lightning radiated eerily through the dark corridor, sounding in the background behind the loud sound of boots crunching against stone. A flash of light illuminated the dark figure making his way stealthily through the corridor of the old English castle, revealing his billowing cape, his chest, and the medallion that glowed ferociously there.

The vampire shoved open two large doors and then stormed into an immense room, coming to a stop only when he saw the object of his visit standing near one of the windows, his back turned towards him, his hands clasped behind him.

"Hello Ghost," the man spoke, his voice raspy and hoarse.

"You sent one of your men to kill that girl. I demand to know why," Ghost snapped. "It was made clear, long ago, that you and your rats were to stay out of my territory. Bad enough that you should rebel against me as your king and form your own organization, never mind invade my territory!"

"So the high and mighty king finally comes home," the vampire growled, turning to face him, his eyes shining unkindly in the dim lighting. "There are rumors, your royal highness, that you've found our destroyer and have not yet done anything about it."

"And that, as all of you know, is only my responsibility. Don't you dare take it into your hands," Ghost sneered. "You have been killing off women in my territory. If you're going to deny me as king, then at least have the wisdom to refrain from invading my land."

"You have found the one that is to kill us, haven't you?" Ghost's companion asked, folding his arms across his chest. "And yet you've done nothing about it. You think my men and I are just going to stand back and let our murderer live? Rachel was one step closer to our tormentor."

"I will deal with that!" Ghost shouted. "You keep your filthy hands out of New York!"

"None of us like how you've been dealing with this. I advise you hurry up and destroy this person, Ghost, or you yourself will be killed."

"You wouldn't have the courage to do it," Ghost sneered and then turned.

"Ghost, I'm giving you three days to kill her. If you don't succeed by the third night, my men and I are taking advances. And we know who she is now," Ghost's rival smiled unkindly. "She's a very pretty thing. It's no wonder you haven't yet killed her. Never fear. I'll give her plenty of enjoyment before she dies, and I'll draw out her death, so she can have some pleasure before her innocent life is cut off."

"You so much as touch her and I will kill you, do you understand?" Ghost snarled. "She'll be dead before you can get to her, I assure you."

"Good. Farewell, Ghost."

Ghost spun about and left the room, slamming the doors behind him.

He had enjoyed watching Angel over the past few years, but unfortunately her reputation was true. She would be the one to destroy the vampires, and while she didn't yet know how she would, she was very clever. She would learn soon enough that she had the power to kill them off. It was only a matter of time. And as much as Ghost had wanted to see her discover things and wanted to watch her reaction to it, his men were beginning to grow uncomfortable with her surviving, and he personally wanted to be the one to kill her off.

"We're sorry to hear about your friend's death," Baron said that night as he and the others stepped into Angel's studio.

"I have a question for you," Angel said, handing them each a plate of steaming beef and watching as Jaden and Forrest sat down next to the men and began to eat.

"By all means, ask," Adrian said with a shrug.

"Before she died, Rachel mentioned that her murderer's bite felt good," Angel said quickly. "How? I would think it would be excruciatingly painful."

"Oh boy. This is a subject Ghost would rather discuss, I think," Dorian sighed, sitting back.

"It's an interesting subject, Miss Angel," Whisper said coolly. "I don't know that it would necessarily be a good thing for you to hear about it, but in the event that you should actually be threatened, it might help. There are two types of bites we can give. The first is one that we use just to feed. We sink our teeth in only deep enough to draw a great deal of blood, and that is the bite that hurts like fire. A victim wouldn't die from the bite itself, but from the loss of blood. Unfortunately, we have a tendency to continue after that. I guess there's something romantic about us, because women seem to get really strange after that point. They seem to want more, and we're already stirred up by the blood."

"And that's when the problem comes," Bartholomew sighed. "We're very impulsive, passionate creatures."

"And we have trouble just taking a taste, especially when our victim wants more," Christopher nodded.

"What usually happens, unfortunately, is we completely lose control. We let our teeth sink in more, which ejects the venom, and that is when the victim is, for a very short time, in earthly heaven. I think there's something intoxicating about the venom," Whisper explained. "It makes them…dreamy and extremely passionate. They live their last half hour or so in complete bliss, and quite frequently, we're obliged to make those last few minutes a little better."

"How can you do that without feeling guilty? That's completely wicked," Angel asked, her eyes wide. "Isn't that taking advantage of people?"

"Not if they ask for it," Adrian said. "They prompt us most of the time, Miss Angel. Horrendous as it sounds, somehow women are attracted to us, and it just goes from there."

"What about Ghost?"

"What about him?" Christopher asked.

"Does he…does he behave like that?" Angel struggled.

"No, surprisingly," Whisper said, his eyes sparkling. "My, my, how you seem interested in him."

"He's your leader," Angel shrugged. "Doesn't that sound reasonable?"

"Ghost avoids women, for the most part," Whisper smiled. "Although there's one he's definitely interested in."

"Yeah, you've been over that before," Jaden said, rolling his eyes.

"How much danger do you think Angel is in from him?" Forrest asked.

"Depends. If she doesn't go after him, she should be fine," Bartholomew shrugged.

"I'd never go after him like that," Angel adamantly declared.

Several of the vampires chuckled, and she frowned.

"What?"

"Out of all the times you've spoken to Ghost, how many of those times has he come to you or invited you somewhere?" Whisper grinned. "Ah ah, don't answer that one." He held up his hand and then smirked when Angel opened her mouth to speak. "You're drawn to him. You don't know how, but you are. Maybe it's his voice, or the closeness you two shared on your first meeting. I don't know. Let me just tell you that he has a great deal of interest in you, and it'd be best, if you value your life, for you to stay away from him."

"He is the most bloodthirsty of us all," Dorian nodded. "He just abstains better than we do."

"There's a reason he never lets you look into his eyes. You do that, and he'll have you, just like a mouse in a trap," Christopher said, snapping his fingers. "Heed our warning on that."

"You'll excuse us, but we must be going," Adrian said, standing up and leaving Angel with her thoughts. "Thank you, as always, for the meal. You really are an exceptional cook."

"Wait. Does Ghost not come here because, if he did, he'd kill me?" Angel asked, watching the powerful men walk towards the door.

Whisper froze, his hand on the doorknob, and then turned to face her, his eyes dark.

"I think I can accurately state that I know the Ghost better than anyone else here. Angel, the last thing you could possibly want now is to confront him, or be alone with him. If you ever find yourself alone with him, be assured, you didn't end up that way on accident. Get away from him as fast as you can. Don't give in to him, or it will be the last thing you ever do. Ghost can be persuasive, more so than the rest of us, and if he wants, he can throw you into such earthly bliss, you'll never know what hit you."

"Do you really think he could get me if he wanted to?" Angel asked quietly.

"You're already attracted to him, whether you'll admit it or not. You're in a good deal of danger," Dorian said solemnly. "Good night."

The vampires left, and Angel collapsed on one of her leather couches, right next to Jaden.

"That's just great," she sighed. "On top of everything, I now have a vampire threat."

"It's something to take seriously," Jaden said quietly. "I don't think you should go anywhere without someone with you. And I think you should call your dad."

"He'll flip out," Angel sighed.

"He's your dad. He needs to know. If you don't call him, I will," Forrest said coolly. "It's important that you have some protection."

"And I do," Angel said, pulling her necklace out from beneath her shirt and letting its light shine.

"I'm afraid, from what we've heard, that may not be enough," Jaden sighed. "If Ghost wants you that badly…"

"I go to school with you, Jay. You can walk me around all the time. Aside from that, I won't leave home unless I need to go shopping or to church, and I can have one of you with me," Angel said easily. "Vampires are nocturnal anyway. I don't have to worry about them much during the day."

"We wish," Jaden said, getting up. "I'm off to get some sleep. Call me if you need anything."

"I'm going as well," Forrest said. "I need to get some rest. You call your dad tonight, Angel, or I will."

"Okay," Angel said, nodding as she closed the door behind the men.


	9. Lethal Confrontation

**Thank you so much to everyone who has been reviewing! I appreciate each and every review. If you're interested, I've posted a new vampire story challenge on my profile that you are welcome to try your hand at. Enjoy the chapter!**

**Lethal Confrontation**

Monday arrived, and with it a new role for Angel. She was to take Rachel's place in the play. She wasn't altogether thrilled about that, but she threw herself into the role with all the passion it deserved, and by the end of the day, she was worn out. Jaden had work, and Forrest was on patrol, so she walked home by herself, her coat wrapped tightly around her. She tried not to think about how Rachel was dead, tried not to cry as she remembered her friend. Instead, her father's concern came to mind, and tears filled Angel's eyes. Her dad was so worried about her. He had wanted to come to New York City as soon as he had heard about the vampires, that way he could help her pack up and move out of the city. She had then explained to him that she was almost done with school, and she would be fine.

She didn't feel fine, as she walked through a shadowy street, fog surrounding her and thunder rumbling up ahead. She was working, in close contact, with vampires. One of them was a severe threat to her, and there were also others out there, others she had never seen, that were deadly enemies, ones that wanted her killed. She wondered how Whisper and the rest of his group hadn't killed her yet. What with the way they spoke and flirted, almost every meal she was certain they were going to hurt her.

A stirring in the shadows brought Angel out of her thinking, and she turned her head to see Dorian stepping out of the darkness, his cloak drawn tightly about him. He pressed his fingers to Angel's lips before she could say anything and then whispered hurriedly, looking up at the tops of the buildings as he did so.

"Ghost is up to something," he breathed quickly. "The others and me aren't coming to dinner tonight. Ghost isn't pleased that we've been visiting you on a friendly basis. I think he has plans for you, and you need to be careful. Do anything you can to have someone stay with you tonight. Call a friend over or something. Go out and watch a movie. Don't stay anywhere alone!"

"But Jaden and Forrest are both working," Angel whispered. "What can I do?"

"Stay at home and keep your doors locked, though I don't think that will keep him out, if he's really up to what I think he is. Make it seem like you aren't home. Keep the lights off and everything quiet."

"Dorian," Angel said hoarsely, grabbing his arm. "I'm scared. Can neither you nor Whisper help me?"

"That would be the most foolish idea imaginable," Dorian frowned. "He'd kill us if we got in his way. And he has the strength to do it. He's the king of the vampires, Angel. He has a strength none of us possesses. Now promise me you'll pretend you aren't home tonight. Promise!" he demanded, shaking her by the shoulders.

"I promise," she nodded, her eyes wide with worry.

"Good. Good night, Angel," Dorian said, and then disappeared back into the shadows.

To be sure, Angel was terrorized when she got back to her studio. She locked her door as soon as she got inside, even going so far as to chain the top. She then called Forrest and Jaden, both of whom were extremely concerned about her. Jaden promised to come over as soon as he was done with work. Forrest, unfortunately, couldn't come due to work, but he gave her a phone number to call, an emergency hotline straight to him, if she needed him. That number would connect to the police radios, letting everyone know she was in trouble.

Angel showered once her phone calls were finished, getting changed into a tank top and pajama pants. She pulled a jacket over her shirt and then made herself some dinner by candlelight.

Ghost was on the hunt. He had plans for her. And she, as a human, had nothing she could truly do to protect herself.

She didn't eat well, and she was extremely relieved when Jaden arrived at her studio and she let him in.

"Okay, I know you aren't going to let me stay in here while you sleep," he said, handing her a movie. "But I brought us something to watch until it's much, much later."

"What is it?" Angel asked, taking the DVD from him.

"Something to ease your mind."

She laughed when she saw "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," and then she hugged Jaden, letting out a long sigh.

"Jay, I thank God every day for you."

"Oh Angel, I'll always be here for you," Jaden smiled, enveloping her in his arms. "I care about you."

"You look a little pale," Angel said, gazing up into his face to see that his skin was a bit paler than usual.

"I haven't altogether been feeling like myself lately, but I'm sure I'll be fine. Let's start the movie, shall we?"

"You know, you're one of the only guys I'd trust to stay and watch a movie with me," Angel said, putting the DVD in the player, sitting down on her couch, and then turning the television on.

"You've known me for awhile," Jaden said, sitting respectfully on the other side of the couch. "Now let's watch this movie and get those vampires off your mind? For now, all we're worried about is saving Ferris."

"Right," Angel laughed and then pressed Play.

As eager as she was to watch the movie and enjoy herself, Angel soon felt herself drifting off. She was exhausted from worry and grief, and she began to slip down on the couch, lying down with her legs curled up against her body, so Jaden still had room. Jaden watched her more than he did the movie, admiring her lovely features, her fair skin and smoky gray eyes. How he wished there could be more between them! How he wanted to take her worried body into his arms and hold her!

The movie finished, and Jaden got off the couch and turned the television off.

"Angel," he said quietly.

"Hmm?" she asked, curling up more on the couch.

"I'm leaving."

"Okay. Thank you for coming."

"Do you want me to bring Crimson over?"

"No," Angel yawned, sitting up slowly, her long hair draping over her shoulders. "Thank you, though. I'll be okay. Once I get to sleep, I'll be fine."

"Such a philosophy," Jaden chuckled and then left her studio, making sure the door was locked behind him.

Angel got off the couch and pulled her jacket off, letting cool air brush over her bare shoulders and neck. The air conditioner was on, she could hear it humming. She moved over to the candles she had lit, and one by one began to blow them out. She took hold of the last one, on the kitchen counter, and then turned to make her way towards her bedroom. She walked through the living area, and then stopped dead in her tracks before she could reach her bedroom area.

The shadows moved, ever so slightly, and Angel took a long step back, her heart beginning to pound wildly and adrenaline surging through her. She struggled to pull her diamond out from beneath her shirt, while at the same time holding the dripping candle, scared out of her mind.

_Come on! _She pleaded inwardly with her necklace. Somehow, with her stumbling, terrorized fingers, the diamond just wouldn't come out.

The shadows parted, and she saw a large form, _his_ form, stepping towards her, his immense body silhouetted by darkness, his cloak shrouding him, making him look so intimidating and forceful. Angel's hands began to tremble, and to her terror, she dropped the candle. She watched, eyes wide with horror, as it dropped to the carpet, and she could just see the whole studio going up in flames. Before the candle could reach the floor, however, her intruder moved, faster than a cat, and caught up the candle in his hand.

"Get out," Angel said coldly, shivering more at his presence than at what had just nearly happened to her studio.

"I rescue your home, and this is what I get in return?" Ghost asked, his teeth shining magnificently in the candlelight.

Angel struggled to get her necklace out, and she let out a cry when his hand shot towards her and grabbed hold of her small one, stopping her desperate search.

"Let go of me!" Angel screamed, watching as he bent down slightly to put the candle on her living room table

"You were never this nervous before. Did someone tell you something?" Ghost asked, placing his fingers on her lips and then tracing her lips gently with his touch.

"You're out to kill me!" she panicked, pulling towards the door with all her might and getting absolutely nowhere.

"Kill you?" he chuckled. "Such nonsense."

"Then why are you here, by yourself, in the middle of the night?"

"It's early morning, love," Ghost said, taking her other hand in his and pulling her towards him. She shuddered as he began to rub her fingers between his, not showing any indication that he was going to be leaving any time soon. "Why would I kill someone as precious as you?" he whispered, his voice rushing over her dangerously.

"Because you're a vampire," she countered, doing her best to stay strong and avoid his advances. "Now let me go, Ghost. I've had quite enough of you lately."

"I spoke with the one responsible for Rachel's murderer," Ghost said easily, never loosening his hold. "I don't believe he'll be bothering anymore women around here."

"Good. Now follow his example and leave me alone."

"I don't think you quite understand what you mean to me," Ghost snarled, pulling her so close that she fell against him and let out a yelp of surprise. "You mean life and death itself to me."

"Sure. You leave me alone and I live. You don't leave me alone and I die!" Angel gasped, fighting and her terror hitched. "Get out! Leave me alone! I never did anything to you!"

"What makes you think I'm going to hurt you?" Ghost soothed, raising one of his hands to stroke it through her dark hair and then let it rest at the back of her neck, his fingers intertwined in her brunette locks.

She began to cry, tears streaming down her cheeks, and her whole body quivered against him. She moved her hands his chest, trying to hold him away from her, speaking to him in quiet tones as she did so.

"Please don't kill me, Ghost. I've done nothing to you, and I've helped your men. I'd gladly help you too, if you'd just let me."

"So sweet, so charming," he breathed, his breath caressing her face as he moved his other hand, tracing the side of her face with it and then bringing that hand to rest against the area right below her throat, where her necklace was hidden beneath the fabric of her shirt. "You can help me."

"Please don't hurt me," she whimpered and then gasped when her back hit the wall. "Ghost," she whispered, struggling as he pressed himself closer to her. "No. Don't do this. You may be heartless, but you aren't wholly evil."

"One condemned to no eternity other than fire can afford to be a bit evil," Ghost said and then lowered his mouth to her jaw.

She opened her mouth to protest, but all that came out was a rush of air as he kissed her jaw. She found she couldn't breathe suddenly, and she closed her eyes, trying desperately to gather her thoughts together. She had been warned against this, warned terribly. If only she could get to her light! Then she could just blind him away! But no, he was pressing his hand hard against her necklace, pushing it against her skin, preventing her from getting it. If only she could keep her head clear enough in time to get to that candle on the living room table…

"You smell so good," Ghost breathed, his mouth moving fervently against her skin, kissing her jaw, then her cheek, and then touching the delicate corner of her mouth.

"Do I?" she asked, pushing forward, getting him to move away from the wall.

"Are you actually giving up?" he asked, moving back as she pushed him forward. His mind was far too occupied with her scent and her submission for him to think about what was happening.

"How can I win?" she sighed, opening her eyes to gaze into his hood. "I wish…I wish I could just see your eyes."

"You're welcome to it," he growled, his lips trailing to her throat.

She put her hands to his hood and pushed it back, pushing him even farther back as she did so, and then gazed deeply into his eyes, her mind temporarily frozen as she gazed into the dark, beautiful crimson orbs. His eyes were dark, almost like he had on some type of stage makeup to make them as dark as they were, but he wore no makeup, and she could only guess that the darkness came from his soul. But it made him so beautiful, so handsome, and she couldn't move her eyes away. She didn't notice anything else about his face, for it was too dark, his eyes only being illuminated by the dim candlelight, and his eyes had her transfixed.

He shifted his body as the back of his leg hit the living room table, and then he moved his hands to Angel's back and murmured her name several times before he readied himself to bite her.

He never had a chance. As soon as his lips touched her throat, she grabbed hold of the candle and shoved it at his face with a shout. The flame hit him in the cheek, right below his eye, and he shoved it away violently, making it hit the floor, and let out an agonized scream, his fangs showing, dripping with venom, as he stumbled back, rubbing at his face. The scream was unlike anything Angel had ever heard, and she could hear her own breathing as the vampire fell back. It had sounded so unearthly, so inhuman. She didn't notice her carpet immediately catch fire, because there was a far greater danger now than just fire. That venom, that transparent liquid that had been seeping from his teeth, had her thoroughly terrorized. She screamed and turned to run towards her door, barely hearing the fire alarms begin to sound throughout the building. There was only one thought on her mind, and that was to escape.

While Angel's attack had been clever, it had also endangered her even more. All sense was gone from the vampire lord's mind. He saw red, and, rubbing his face ferociously, he stalked towards Angel. She struggled with the locks on her door and then let out another scream when his hand grabbed the back of her neck and he spun her around. She fought with him, trying to scratch him and kicking up at him, catching him in the stomach. He snarled and used his foot to pull her legs out from under her, making her fall to the floor.

Smoke filled Angel's nostrils as she fought, scrambling to get back up and screaming again when his knees hit her stomach, knocking the air out of her and bruising her. He held her down with his weight, and then grabbed her hands as she fought him, using so much force she gasped in pain, certain his hands were going to crush every bone in hers.

"Just stop it!" he shouted, pinning her hands down at her sides, pushing them hard into the carpet.

"You are trying to kill me, you just set my house on fire, and you're telling me to stop it?" Angel gasped. "You're nothing but an animal! You prey on the blood of others and take from women what you want! Get off me!"

"I did come to destroy you, and I'm not leaving until I have. Especially not after that little episode," he snarled and then violently moved his face to her neck, ignoring her struggling as he did so.

"Listen to me!" Angel gasped, tears coursing down her cheeks as he nuzzled her throat. "You don't have to do this!"

"Shut it already," he snarled, his mouth opening wide.

She could feel the venom dripping on her skin and his hot breath coursing across her neck.

The door suddenly burst open, and Angel heard the cries of the firemen when they saw her there, trapped on the floor, a cloaked man on top of her, preparing to kill her. Immediately, one of them charged Ghost and flung the handle of his ax at the vampire. It hit Ghost hard in the head, and he rolled off Angel, turning and twisting professionally, and then leaped to his feet. Before the firemen could do anything more, he twirled his cloak about him and disappeared.

The men immediately put out the fire and then turned to attend to Angel, who was still lying on the floor, hyperventilating. They helped her sit up, and one of them, old enough to be her grandfather, pulled her into his arms and rocked her gently, like a baby.

"He tried to kill me," Angel whispered, gazing at the wax on her shirt. "And he almost succeeded."

"You were very smart," the fireman said kindly.

"I…I need my phone," Angel said, struggling to her feet and then stumbling over to her cell phone.

Her fingers were trembling frightfully as she dialed Forrest's number. She quickly told him, terror in her voice, what had happened, and he promised her that there would be someone to take care of her in less than ten minutes.

He was right. Five minutes later, a female police officer entered Angel's studio and introduced herself as Crystal Adment. She then explained to the firemen that she would be staying with Angel for the night, and then the men left, giving Angel their most comforting words as they did so.

Crystal had seen many things in her time as a policewoman, and she knew that not a single word she said would comfort Angel. So, she followed Forrest's advice and went into Angel's kitchen. She made Angel's comfort food, chocolate milk, and then brought the glass over to the traumatized girl.

Angel downed the drink, not even taking time to breathe as she did so. Only after the drink was gone did Crystal speak.

"You have wax on your shirt. Were you burned at all?"

"No," Angel shuddered, cuddling up into a ball. "But Ghost was."

"That's why he attacked you?"

"I'd rather not talk about it, really," Angel said, standing up shakily and moving to her bedroom drawers. "I'm going to get changed. And then I'm going to try to sleep. Thank you for coming. I really appreciate it."

"No problem," Crystal said and then watched with concern as Angel took her new shirt into her bathroom.

"Is she dead?" Whisper asked, looking up from his book as Ghost stormed into the great castle's sitting room.

"No, the wretched woman's not dead," Ghost snarled, pushing his hood back and looking into the mirror next to the enormous, blazing fireplace. He hissed when he saw the burnt mark on his face and the cooled wax that was there, having dripped all the way from his eyebrow down to his chin.

"Great Scott! What did she do?" Dorian exclaimed, looking at his leader's face.

"Struck me with a candle," Ghost growled, scraping the wax off.

"Clever little creature," Adrian chuckled.

"Ooh, that looks painful," Bartholomew winced, looking at the red on Ghost's face.

"She's just condemned herself to Valiris," Ghost snarled, still scraping. "And he's the last one I want to kill her. We have until tomorrow night to finish her off. I want all of you to go after her. She may be able to evade me, but certainly not all of you together."

"We can't kill her," Christopher said calmly.

"Why not?" Ghost demanded angrily.

"For the same reason you can't," Whisper said. "She's too kind and merciful. She's pure and innocent. And there's also that matter of how we all _want_ to be destroyed. None of us, including you, wants to keep living as the bloodthirsty creatures that we are. We would rather be killed and end up in eternal flames than keep living here killing people. You also can't kill her because of that blind boy…the way he feels about her."

"What does he feel?" Ghost snarled warningly.

"He loves her. And we can't fight that."

"True," Ghost frowned, stroking his burnt face. "But if we kill him, then there will be nothing stopping us from getting her."

"Oh come on. He's blind, Ghost," Bartholomew snorted. "Helpless. Unable to stop us. The girl has no clue as to the threat she is to us. If we leave her alone, she'll never have any reason to think she's dangerous or has any sort of power. The more we harass her, the closer she'll be to finding out the truth. I think we should leave her alone."

"We can't afford to risk our lives over her," Ghost said, shaking his head.

"I think you're afraid of Valiris," Whisper said. "You don't want to kill the girl, but you don't want Val to get his hands on her, for fear of what he'll do to her before she dies. That's it, isn't it? You like her, Ghost."

"Hence the reason I tried to kill her," Ghost snorted. "Right, Whisper."

"You have more strength than several of us put together. You can romance women like no one else can. Don't tell us you can't kill her," Christopher scowled. "You're our leader. You have the strength to kill and seduce as much as you like."

"And when have I ever seduced anyone?" Ghost asked angrily. "When? Think of one time when I've actually tried to lure a woman!"

The others were silent, and Whisper spoke quietly.

"You never have, Ghost. They've come to you."

"And every time, what's happened?" he groaned.

"You've killed them," Drake said. "Every time."

"Every single wretched time," Ghost moaned, beginning to pace. "How can I possibly care for a woman? I've killed every single one I've come into contact with! And what's worse, I have been luring Angel, that innocent, harmless creature with all the generosity of a saint and the heart of an angel."

"Your path lies in a different direction," Baron said calmly. "You aren't going the way she is. Your fate is different. Your soul is bound to a different eternity, separate from hers."

"Men, I want to know a woman's love, not her fear. You were right when you said I don't want to kill Angel. She is the kindest, sweetest woman I have met in thousands of years of life. I can't kill her; no matter how hard I try. And I can't bear the thought of Val getting his claws on her, but I'm afraid I have no choice. You can't kill her, and neither can I. It's up to him to destroy her, before she destroys us."

"We all want to know what it's like to have a loved one to hold close," Adrian nodded. "We understand, and we have come to honor you more because of your attempts to make life simpler for us. None of us desires the fate that lies waiting. Perhaps this angel, as you so accurately called her, is here to save us. We should make her burden lighter."

"But not interfere with Val," Dorian said hastily. "His men outnumber us, and he has a murderous appetite that we at least try to control. He certainly doesn't try to control it."

"That poor woman," Whisper sighed. "All alone, left to fight off Val by herself. Oh well. It was nice knowing her."

"If you're hoping I'll show her any sort of mercy, I won't," Ghost said, and then turned and stalked out of the room.

The doors slammed shut behind him, and the other vampires glanced at each other curiously.

"I think this thing's really bothering him," Baron said simply.


	10. Blind to the Truth

**Another chapter! Huzzah! Please enjoy and review! I'd love to hear any advice or comments you have to give!**

**Blind to the Truth**

Angel stopped and smiled when she saw Jaden standing in the center of the grassy area, pulling his arm back and then throwing the Frisbee far away. His motions were so smooth, and everything was so serene, she was almost afraid to interrupt him. She watched Crimson let out a happy bark and then chase after the Frisbee, leaping high into the air to catch it in his mouth. He then trotted back to his master and dropped the Frisbee at the blind man's feet.

"Good boy, Crimson. Go long," Jaden said, patting the dog's head before he threw the Frisbee again. "Come on over, Angel," he spoke, turning to face her.

"How did you know I was here?"

"Oh, just a guess," he smiled, moving towards her. "Are you okay? I know there was a mess over at your studio last night."

"I was encountered by Ghost, but I'm fine," Angel said, moving to meet him. "How about you? You look more pale than usual."

"I still feel really bad," Jaden sighed. "I don't know what's wrong with me, though."

"Have you gone to the hospital at all?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I don't like hospitals. You know that. Hey, some of my friends are coming over for Thanksgiving in a few nights. Would you care to join us? I know you said your dad is coming, and he's more than welcome to join the party."

"I might do that," Angel nodded.

"You seem really quiet," Jaden commented, noticing that she wasn't speaking as much as she usually did.

"Last night was just…terrifying."

"What exactly did Ghost do?" Jaden asked worriedly, throwing Crimson's Frisbee again.

"He just about got me," Angel whispered.

"What do you mean? How?" Jaden asked, complete seriousness in his voice.

"He tried to bite me. He pushed me up against the wall and tried to get a good hold on me. I threw a candle in his face. That's how the studio caught on fire and I escaped."

"Do you have someone to stay with you all the time now?" Jaden asked, his eyes dark behind his glasses.

"I have Crystal, a police officer, to stay with me at night," Angel said easily. "We have a full dress rehearsal tonight, Jay. That should be cool."

"Mm…you'll look gorgeous in your dress," Jaden said sadly.

"Jay, can you really not see?" Angel asked.

"I will always be able to see you," he said gently, putting his hands to her face. "But I won't hide it any longer. I can't see a thing. No shadows, no different shades of gray…nothing."

"Oh Jaden!" she gasped, taking his hands in hers. "I'm so sorry!"

"It's all right," he smiled. "The worst thing about it is not being able to see into your gorgeous eyes."

"You really are too nice," Angel whispered.

"We should probably go get ready for rehearsals," Jaden smiled. "Afterwards, we can go out for dinner or something. Sound good?"

"How about just out for coffee?" Angel asked. "There's a lot I'd like to talk to you about."

"Sure thing."

Play rehearsals went well, and afterwards, Jaden and Angel bought their drinks in "Starbucks" and found a seat near the fireplace.

Angel then poured out everything to her best friend, her worries about Ghost, the fear she had of being killed. She explained to him how upset she still was over Rachel, how she was terrorized she would have the same fate. He never spoke, but listened to her quietly, letting her pour out her soul to him. When she was finished, she took in a deep breath and gazed into his eyes. Her eyes immediately widened with fear when she saw that he was flushed, terribly flushed, far more flushed than just the heat from the fire would have made him.

"Jay!" She gasped, putting her drink down and grabbing his hand. "What is wrong?"

He opened his mouth, trying to speak as sweat trickled down his forehead, but words refused to come. He let out a choke and then slumped, his eyes closed.

"Help!" Angel screamed, dropping to the floor as Jaden did and catching his upper body before his head could hit the hard floor. "Someone help! Call an ambulance! He's unconscious!"

She opened his shirt slightly and pressed her ear to his chest. Panic flowed through her as she realized his heart wasn't beating. She grabbed his wrist and felt for a pulse, and found, to her absolute terror, that there was none.

"Oh God! Oh God help!" she panicked to the Lord as she tilted his head back, opening up his airway, and then began CPR, praying, with all her might, that help would get there soon. She couldn't hear the surprise and horror of the people around her. She didn't know that help had been called for. All she could focus on was Jaden, bringing him back to life, saving him with every ounce of her strength.

She never heard the ambulance arrive, and she had to be pulled forcefully away from Jaden as the medics rushed to the aid. She saw, as soon as she was pulled back, that his eyelids were beginning to flutter, and they opened slowly, his hazel eyes looking completely out of focus. Not that he could see anything anyway, but he still looked daze.

"What's happening?" he stammered, sitting up slowly with a groan.

"You went unconscious, sir," one of the medics said. "This young woman said you didn't have a pulse or a heartbeat."

"Angel? Angel? Where is she?" Jaden demanded, turning his head to the left and right, trying to hear her.

"I'm here," Angel said, rushing to him and taking his hand in hers.

"You're looking ill again," the lead medic, Patrick, said, seeing Jaden's face turning colors again.

"I don't understand what is happening," Jaden stammered as he was hoisted onto a stretcher and brought outside.

"You'll be okay," Angel said, her face tight as she walked with him.

"How are you related to Jaden?" Patrick asked, watching Jaden's stretcher get settled safely in the ambulance.

"I'm his friend," Angel said carefully.

"Best friend," Jaden corrected. "Let her come with me, please. I need a pleasant face and voice through all this," he smiled weakly.

"Sure thing," Patrick nodded, and then Angel climbed into the ambulance and sat down next to Jaden.

As soon as Jaden got to the hospital, his vitals were taken, and he was rushed into a room for blood work. To the horror of the doctors and Angel, he was severely blood-depleted. That was what had caused his collapsing. He was much too short on blood. He was brought into the ICU unit and was immediately given a blood transfusion. He was also pumped with several questions, none of which he could answer. No, he didn't know what had caused his blood loss. He hadn't felt this bad until the day before. He had slept it off, but then it came back this morning.

While he was speaking, Angel watched him quietly, a cold dread seeping through her body. She walked up to him as he was being questioned, and then gently put her hand to the collar of his shirt.

"Angel, what are you doing?" he asked uncomfortably.

She pulled his collar away, and there, nearly faded into his skin now, were two red marks, spaced apart just enough to make Angel gasp and step back, her hand flying to her mouth with surprise.

"What? What is it?" Jaden asked, and the doctor hurried over to look at his neck.

"Call the police," he said to one of the nurses as soon as he saw the mark.

"What is it?" Jaden asked, putting his hand to his neck. His eyes widened when he felt his skin, and he turned his head towards Angel. "Angel," he said breathlessly. "This isn't what I think it is, is it?"

"You've been bitten," she struggled, tears rolling down her cheeks.

She sat down next to him and held his hand tightly until Forrest and another officer arrived. They studied Jaden's neck and then informed the doctor that Jaden was to stay here as long as possible. It was a miracle he was still alive, but they wanted to make absolutely certain that help would be there if things turned bad.

Angel refused to leave Jaden's side, and she asked Forrest to run back to her studio and get some things for her, which the kind police officer did immediately. He then informed her that she was to call him should anything happen. Once that was said, he and his companion left, leaving Jaden and Angel to themselves.

"Now I know you're terrorized," Jaden said, putting his hand over Angel's as their dinners were brought in. "But I survived this long without dying, after having been bitten. I think I'll be okay."

"But you collapsed today!" Angel exclaimed. "Jaden, I thought you had died!"

"And I'm still here," he smiled understandingly. "Let's get your mind off this, hmm? What did you have Forrest bring?"

"The play script and my Bible," Angel said quietly, not even looking at her food.

"Eat, and while you do that, we can go over the script," Jaden said, taking a sip of his water. "Come on, Angel. Cheer up. It'll be okay. I'll be fine."

"But I'm so afraid you won't be. When did you get bit?" Angel asked worriedly.

"I honestly couldn't tell you. My guess is that it was when I was asleep," Jaden shrugged.

"But why would they bite you? What reason could they have for attacking you when you were asleep, or for attacking you at all?" Angel asked fearfully.

Jaden didn't answer, and her mouth opened wide with terror.

"Me!" She gasped. "They're after me, and they thought you'd be in the way! Oh Jaden! I almost caused your death!"

"Now stop it," he scolded, frowning. "None of this is your fault, and I don't want to hear anything like that. Forget about the bite for a little bit, and let's go over that script. And you need to eat. You're shaking from lack of food."

"Where do you want us to start?" Angel sighed, trying to push her terror away long enough for her to rehearse.

"I like the part right after the peddler becomes the prince," Jaden said. "I still have to work on that. I have his stride right, but I can't seem to master his voice. I know I have the English accent and all, since I'm British, but I don't have enough passion in it. Go ahead and start."

Angel cleared her throat and then began her part, speaking like a professional.

"What have I done? You aren't a common, ugly peddler, but a prince! To think I had been the monster all along, and never you! Oh my prince, I beg your forgiveness!"

"You sweet thing," Jaden's voice spoke, so soothing and lovely. "You had to come through this journey, through such darkness, to be humbled, to become the precious thing I know you are."

"Forgive me, great prince," Angel breathed, such urgency in her voice. "For now I understand that even those who seem to be monsters can truly be something beautiful, something innocent within."

"No more tears," Jaden shushed, putting his hand to Angel's cheek. "No more tears, my sweet princess. You have suffered enough."

"Ah, but I have suffered so little in comparison to you!" she exclaimed. "I thought you a creature condemned by your ugliness and cruelty, but truly I should have been the one condemned for my injustice and unkindness to you."

"No more talking," Jaden breathed, moving his face closer to hers, drawing her in with his eyes. "Let the silence speak for itself."

"To think you were always there," Angel whispered. "But I was blind to see it."

"And here I am," Jaden smiled, closing his eyes and moving his lips to her tears. "Open before you."

Gently, his pressed his lips to her temple and kissed her softly.

"Jaden," she whispered, closing her eyes against his soft touch. "This wasn't in the script."

"But it is soothing you, and that is what you need," he said quietly, moving his hand to the side of her face, cradling her. "I'm not afraid. You shouldn't be either."

"I thought I had lost you," she said, leaning in closer as his unoccupied arm wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her towards him.

"I told you I'll always be here for you," Jaden breathed, closing his eyes as he moved his kisses from her temple to her cheekbone and then traced feather light kisses down the side of her face. "I love you, Angel."

"You do?" she asked, opening her eyes to gaze at his handsome face.

"Yes. And I know your standards, but I'll share one of my deepest, darkest secrets with you," he smiled, leaning back so he could look into her face. "I want your first kiss," he said, letting his fingers trace across her lips. "But you aren't ready to give it, and I won't take it. Not yet."

"One day you may just get it," Angel smiled and then sat back, folding her arms across her chest to warm herself.

It had suddenly turned very cold in the room, and she couldn't figure out why.

"I wonder how long they're going to have me stay here," Jaden sighed, reaching for a remote control to the television. "Let's see what's on while we wait."

He turned the set on and then spent the next fifteen minutes changing the channels, much to Angel's amusement. He froze, though, when the screen changed to a completely black picture, and Angel watched, curiously, as smoke began to billow up on the screen, and someone began to speak, his voice low and alluring. Angel immediately felt uncomfortable, for that voice sounded so strangely familiar, even though she knew it wasn't whom it sounded like.

"There was a woman, of such refined beauty," the voice spoke, and fast images of a woman, beautiful and entrancing, whipped across the screen.

"I fell in love with her. So terribly in love…"

Fast images of bats, a full moon, a flowing cape, and dripping fangs raced across the set.

"I could nearly kill her."

The smoke turned into flames, and short clips of this new movie began to show, revealing a vicious car chase, someone in a cloak jumping off a tower, two men (more like animals than men) fighting each other with fangs and screams, and one exceptionally uncomfortable scene of an extremely handsome man and the woman, shown in the first few images, embracing each other in a manner that was entirely inappropriate.

"What is this?" Angel asked, her eyes wide as the credits suddenly appeared on the screen, in deep red writing.

"Nocturnal," appeared on the screen, made to look like it was written in blood, and Angel shuddered.

"Sounds like a vampire movie," Jaden said. "Hmm… I think I'll go watch it."

"Why?" Angel asked, surprised.

"Because if you have to deal with all these people, I may as well learn more about them."

"But you won't even be able to see the movie!"

"That'll cut out that one disgusting scene then, won't it? I'll still be able to hear it."

"I've had enough vampires," Angel shivered, standing up and walking to the window. "I don't need more."

Jaden was released two hours later, and the doctor ordered him to come back the next day, so he could make certain that the young man was all right.

"Before the appointment, I need to get a hair cut," Jaden said, running his fingers through his hair as he and Angel stepped out of their cab and made their way to their separate buildings. "I need a better hairdo for the prince."

"I'll go with you," Angel volunteered. "I can help you with that."

"Great!" Jaden smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Jaden did get his haircut the following day, using Angel to help him get it to look right. He no longer had his 80's do, but a very sophisticated cut that made him look like a businessman. Afterwards he went to the hospital again, and then he parted ways with Angel and went, by himself, to go watch "Nocturnal." Angel absolutely refused to go with him.

When the movie was finished, Jaden called both Angel and Forrest up and adamantly told them they needed to go back to the theater and watch the movie with him.

Angel refused, saying she didn't want to see blood all over the place, the movie was rated too high, and she wasn't interested in the romance scene she had only seen a glimpse of, but both Forrest and Jaden kept pushing her until she finally gave in. She met them both at the theater shortly after.

"Okay, I'm here, but you better tell me when I can't look," she demanded as they walked into the theater.

"Don't worry. I know where everything is," Jaden nodded. "I really think you both should see this, though. It had a really unique idea in it."

"And a really good looking actress, right?" Forrest grinned.

"I don't know. I couldn't see her," Jaden shrugged as they sat down in front of the screen.

Forrest and Jaden watched and listened with interest, but Angel was terrorized through the whole first forty-five minutes of the movie. There were bloodthirsty vampires throughout the whole thing, and the one who loved the main girl, Melody, was so terribly like Ghost, it was horrifying to Angel. He did everything in his power to overcome Melody, and only shortly after that incident did the reason why finally come up.

Melody had a certain magical light to her. It just radiated from her body, and the vampires hated her for it.

Cold chills flowed through Angel for the rest of the movie. She watched, eyes wide with horror, as Melody barely escaped one assault after the other. There were, of course, several rather steamy moments between her and the vampire, and Jaden tactfully told Angel when to look away.

The end of the film left Angel as white as a sheet and trembling.

Melody died. The girl let herself get bit by the vampire, and she simply died.

"Angel? Angel, are you okay?" Jaden's voice infiltrated the shock.

"It was a book first. I wrote down the author's name. We're going to contact him," Forrest said, putting his hand on Angel's shoulder and shaking her gently.

Angel couldn't say a word. The story…it was so real! But she refused to fall in love with Ghost! And she absolutely refused to die by him! She would fight until she could fight no longer!

"That whole thing with the light was just incredible," Jaden said as he and his companions walked out of the theater. "It was such a wild idea! And it matches you perfectly, Angel."

"I do hope you guys don't think I'm as cheesy as that Melody was," Angel frowned, trying to push her terror away. "I definitely wouldn't throw myself into some vampire's arms. And I definitely wouldn't let him bite me! That woman was insane!"

"Hey, we wouldn't let them hurt you," Forrest said easily. "When I get back to the station, I'm going to find out how to contact that Vladimir Vorsk, the author. I know you have the play coming up, Angel, but I suggest you get ready for a trip."

"What do you mean?" Angel asked worriedly.

"We're going to go see Vladimir," Forrest answered. "That story was too accurate to yours. He has to know more about that story than just what was shown. He knows things about vampires, otherwise he wouldn't have known about that light you have."

"I'd really rather not meet him, but if you think it would be best, then okay," Angel sighed.

"It'll all be taken care of, Angel. Don't worry," Forrest smiled.

Angel didn't think so.


	11. Jealousy and Infatuation

**Jealousy and Infatuation**

"Dad!" Angel exclaimed, throwing her arms around Thomas Turner the next day at the airport. "You're here!"

"Yes! Back from business to see my lovely daughter, who is looking more and more like her mother did," Tom smiled, holding Angel close, forgetting about his luggage that was moving on the belt.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're back, even if just for a few days!" Angel said, squeezing him before she let him go and then watched him pick up his suitcase.

"And I am glad to be back," he smiled and then put his arm around her shoulders as they left the airport.

Angel spoke nonstop in the taxi on the way to her studio. She hadn't seen her dad in several months, and there was so much to talk about! Tom listened joyfully to his daughter, showing happiness where it was necessary and showing worry where it was inevitable. He was distressed to hear that vampires were hunting his daughter, but he had every belief that Jaden and Forrest would keep her safe.

He went to rehearsals with her that afternoon and watched quietly as his daughter performed the role of the leading lady. He was so proud, so unspeakably proud of the woman she had become.

Angel performed just for him, throwing herself with tremendous force into her character. She was almost completely happy. Only one thing stood in her way, and that was the sudden change Jaden was undergoing. Now that he had his new haircut and he no longer wore glasses, since he couldn't see anyway, the girls clamored around him. They fussed over him, flirted with him, and absorbed all his attention, so much so, that Angel hardly had a chance to grab him and reintroduce him to Tom. Jaden only had enough time to invite Tom to the Thanksgiving dinner the following night before he was dragged back into the group of admiring girls.

Angel prepared dinner for herself and her father once they got back to the studio. While she was cooking, she received a phone call from Forrest, and after fifteen minutes of speaking, she closed her phone and turned to her father, a smile on her face and a pan of delicious food in her hands.

"That was Forrest," she said, placing the pan on the dining room table. "I'm off to England a couple of days after Thanksgiving."

"England?" Tom asked, an eyebrow arched as his daughter sat down in front of him at the table.

"To meet Vladimir Vorsk, the author of the book 'Nocturnal.' They just made it into a movie," Angel said easily.

"You told me about that movie, how you think it has something to do with you," Tom frowned, taking her hands in his so they could pray. "Who is going to England with you?"

"Forrest and one other officer, Crystal. Vladimir is having a great ball at his estate in honor of the movie's success, and the police arranged it so we could go and stay there for the night, as most of the guests will be. We will be able to get all the information we need from Vladimir, hopefully," Angel nodded.

"Let's pray," Tom sighed, and then offered up a heartfelt prayer for the safety of his daughter and the food.

The following day, Thanksgiving, found Tom and Angel strolling through Central Park, talking about anything and everything. Angel shared all her thoughts and worries about Jaden and the vampires, being careful not to make anything sound too frightening because she didn't want to worry her father more than he already was.

When they got back to the studio, they both set about working in Angel's kitchen, preparing food for the great evening meal. Angel made several casseroles, making one of Jaden's favorites, and Tom focused on the pies. He was excellent at making pies. All thoughts of vampires were gone from Angel's mind as she worked with her dad, focusing her attention on cooking and just enjoying his company. Everything felt so safe when she was with him. It seemed as if everything with the vampires had just been one big, bad dream.

At a quarter until five, Angel and Tom went over to Jaden's apartment, and he invited them in, showing them where to put all the food. Angel was surprised to find, as she put the food in the appropriate place, that several guests were already there. There were three girls already sitting in Jaden's living room, comfortable on one of the couches. Across from them sat a man with beautiful green eyes and dark hair, pulled back in a ponytail. Something seemed vaguely familiar about him, but Angel couldn't put a finger on what it was as she entered the living room. Jaden introduced her and Tom to his guests, and then everyone sat and talked while they waited for everyone else to arrive.

There were a total of twenty-two people in Jaden's small apartment by the time the meal was started. Angel wasn't much of a talker, she preferred to listen, and so she was quiet during most of the conversations, just learning new things about new people. She noticed, this time, that all the girls, every single one of them, were drawn like flies to butter, around Jaden.

A new feeling, one that Angel had never felt before, crept over her as the evening wore on. She felt it come over her as the girls fawned over Jaden, and her cheeks flushed as she realized what this heated new feeling was.

She was jealous. Never before had she been jealous of a man, but here she was, jealous over Jaden, of all people! He was her best friend, and while he had certainly expressed some feelings for her, she had never considered him to be more than a friend! It had been those kisses he had given her! That's what was making her so heated! But they had been simple kisses, never meant to anything deeper, surely!

He gave her the same attention he always did, not so much that it was embarrassing, and not so little that she felt left out, but still, he was speaking plenty enough with the other women, those flirtatious people! And they had once laughed at him for looking like he was from the 80's! And now here they were, ogling over him, because of a change of hairdo and because of…blindness!

When dinner was over, Angel and Tom returned to her studio, and Tom bedded down for the night. Angel, however, still flushed from her uncomfortable feelings, wrapped a heavy bathrobe around her pajamas and made her way to the roof of her studio. The roof was her favorite place for reflecting and solitude, and she stepped onto it and closed the door behind her.

It was freezing cold, and there was a snow flurry, whipping at Angel's hair, but she ignored it and moved to the edge of the roof, gazing out across the shrouded New York sky.

"Why am I jealous?" she prayed aloud, gazing up at the heavy clouds above, snow falling on her face and in her hair. "He's just Jaden!"

"We like to speak of it as amore," a cold voice, colder than the night air, spoke.

"Evidently I didn't burn you enough last time," Angel shivered, her teeth chattering together as she pulled the bathrobe tightly around her. It wasn't thick enough to keep her warm in such weather, and her eyes glassed over from the cold.

"Foolish girl, coming out here in the dark, by yourself, dressed in such apparel," the voice replied, and Angel watched as Ghost stepped out of the flurry, his cloak billowing about him in the biting cold breeze.

Angel backed quickly towards the door and grabbed hold of the knob, intending to hurry up and get inside. She was scared, terribly scared of Ghost now, due to what had happened the other night. She found, to her terror, that once again, she couldn't open the door, this time because her fingers were too stiff to open it.

She panicked, whimpers coming out of her mouth in gusts of smoke, as she fell back against the door. Her hands moved to her face, and tears began to stream down, cold in between her fingers.

"Oh, why the tears? Terrorized that I'm going to kill you after what you pulled off the other night?" Ghost tsked, stepping in front of her, giving her nowhere to escape.

"I can't fight you tonight," Angel sniffed, letting herself slump to the floor, pulling her knees up to her chin.

"How annoying. I don't enjoy prey that doesn't put up a good fight first," Ghost smirked, kneeling down so he was face level with her. "Why this change of defiance?"

"I'm just a girl, Ghost," Angel said, daring to gaze at his hood. "I can't always fight."

"Ah. I know what it is you want," he smiled, his fangs showing as he put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her towards him. "You, my dear lady, want some closeness, some affection."

"Not from you," she struggled weakly, her lips turning blue.

"From that blind boy, then."

"Just leave me alone. You wouldn't understand the desire to feel safe, to feel secure," Angel whispered, cringing when he wrapped his cloak around her and pulled her against his chest. She could feel heat radiating off him, and it made her drowsy.

"Jealousy isn't becoming of you, Angel," Ghost chuckled. "Perhaps your friend has others to consider. I, however, only have room for one lady to occupy my time."

"Go find another bat," Angel scowled, trying to push him away.

"You're so tired," Ghost said, pressing his cheek against hers, warming her face. "Just relax."

"You'll kill me," Angel said, her breathing slowing down as her eyes began to drift closed.

"You know what it is you really want?" Ghost asked, letting his breath brush against her cold skin.

"To stop being hunted and to finally feel free again," Angel breathed, her head tilting so that her forehead was resting on his chest.

"To get all the love and affection you deserve," he corrected, gathering her up into his arms and then standing up.

She didn't even try to fight. All the emotional changes over the past few days had worn her out. Hearing that Jaden was completely blind, watching him being pumped with blood, and then seeing him surrounded by girls had taken all the heart out of Angel for the time being. She needed rest, a good couple of days of rest without being troubled or afraid.

"I'll let you go this time," Ghost said, holding her easily in his arms as he opened the roof door. "But be warned, when you are returned to your proper mentality and health, I will get you, and there will be no stopping me."

"It will be just like in the movie," Angel whispered, half asleep. "I'll try and fight, but you'll kill me anyway."

"Movie?" Ghost asked, carrying her into the building and closing the door behind him.

"Yes. The girl fell in love with the vampire, you know. Foolish woman. She fell in love and then let him kill her," Angel sighed. "Don't let that get to your head. I won't fall in love with you. How could I? I love Jaden."

"You worry so much for such a small woman," Ghost chuckled. "The boy and you would make a good match. But I think you need someone a little more…passionate…more romantic."

"Like you?" Angel laughed despite her weariness. "Oh please."

"Like me," he nodded.

"So you can do what you want and then kill me. Why on earth are you carrying me? Put me down," Angel said, beginning to squirm.

"Why are you letting me carry you?"

"You…you snake! You know I'm at a disadvantaged state right now, and all you can do is make things worse because of it!" Angel shouted, pushing her way out of his arms.

He simply let her go, and she fell hard on her backside.

"Ooh… you are rotten!" she exclaimed, climbing painfully to her feet.

"I came here more or less to give you a warning," Ghost said. "I'm not interested in killing you at just this moment, because I thought I'd let someone else, without my amount of mercy, play with you a little bit first. That may just help you realize that death at my hands would absolutely be heavenly compared to what you're about to go through. There's a whole pack of vampires coming to New York, ones that don't care an inch for your life. I've been told, in honor of their leader, to give you a greeting from them, to assure you that they will be here rather soon and that you're in grave danger. I have no power over this group, and while I don't want them to kill you, be prepared for the worst."

"You don't want them to kill me why?" Angel scowled, pushing past him to get to her door.

"Because I want to save that novelty for myself. As lord of the vampires, I should have such an honor," Ghost smiled. "But if, for some arrogant reason, they end up killing you…"

He grabbed her roughly by her shoulders and then lowered his head, faster than she could blink, and pressed his lips to her neck. She gasped sharply as he kissed her, his breath rushing against her skin, his hands tight on her, forbidding her from moving. Never had she had a more light-headed experience. He trailed kisses up her neck, moving against her throat and then back down again, making her cry out from the excruciating fever that was pulsing through her blood. He was fervent, seeming almost as though he was angry as he pushed his mouth against her, hissing in the back of his throat when he finally pulled away and stepped back. He bowed deeply, wrapped his cloak around him, and then disappeared.

Angel couldn't move. For several long seconds, she was almost positive she wasn't breathing. His touch had been…had been amazing, to say the least.

"Dad," she finally struggled to speak, gasping as she spoke, still breathless.

"Angel, there you are!" Tom said, opening the door at just that moment. His eyes widened when he saw his daughter leaning hard against the wall, her head back and her eyes closed. She looked almost as though she was clinging to the wall, and it seemed it would take a metal bar of some sort to get her off.

"Where were you?" Tom asked, watching as Angel slowly opened her eyes.

"On the roof," she smiled weakly. "Ghost was there."

"Did he hurt you?" Tom asked worriedly, pulling her close.

"No," she said, dazed. "But the hunt is on, Dad. The vampires are after me."

"Yet he didn't kill you," Tom said, surprised. "Why?"

"There's a lot more to him than the scary creature he tries to be," Angel sighed, and then followed him into the studio.

There was no school the next day, and Angel and her dad spent the morning shopping and enjoying each other's company. Angel had some grocery shopping to do in the afternoon, and so Tom volunteered to go home and clean up the refrigerator a bit, making room for more food. Angel teased him, that he didn't want to go grocery shopping, so he was making excuses, but she hugged him and then told him she'd see him later.

It was a beautiful, sunny day, and sunlight was reflecting off the snow. Grocery shopping wasn't one of Angel's favorite things to do, but she didn't seem to mind today. The grocery store was very crowded, making her feel safe. Even if vampires were after her, they wouldn't dare attack her here.

Once the shopping was done, she stopped quickly at a dress store and picked up the dress she had bought for the ball Vladimir would be having at his home the next night. She then went back home to find Tom, Jaden, and Forrest all waiting for her.

"What's this?" she asked, putting her groceries on the counter and then draping her dress over the couch.

"An early birthday present," Tom said proudly. "I know your birthday isn't for a few more days, but I won't be here for it, so tonight we're going out to dinner in your honor."

"Oh! How fun! Just me and the boys!" Angel cheered, beginning to put groceries in the refrigerator.

"Well, Crystal and a few others you know from the theater are going to be there also," Jaden shrugged. "Your dad thought twenty-four was too big of a birthday for just the four of us."

"Aww. You're so sweet, Dad!" Angel smiled, giving Tom a hug. "Where are we going?"

A short while later, Angel found herself sitting on the waterfront, gazing out at the Statue of Liberty, all of her friends gathered around her, preparing themselves to eat as much seafood as they could handle. This was no formal celebration. Everyone was laughing and talking away, and truth be told, the crab legs and shrimp were going to be quite messy, but Angel preferred this type of celebration beyond and above any elegant occasion.

The sun was just setting, casting a warm glow over the Atlantic waters, and while everyone spoke around her, waiting for their food, Angel observed her friends and remained silent. She smiled at Forrest, studying his straight brown hair, his expressive brown eyes, and the joyful smile on his face. She looked to the girls in the group, all fellow actresses, and all part of one unique family. And then her eyes rested on Jaden, crammed in between two of these girls.

There could be no denying that he was gorgeous. His shorter haircut made him look more mature, and it allowed the red highlights in his hair to shine majestically. He had been trying, for the past few days, to grow out his sideburns a bit, and he looked every inch the handsome actor that he was. He moved his head from side to side, trying to look in the right direction of whomever was speaking, giving Angel a clear view of his magnificent hazel eyes. They were so expressive, even though they could no longer see, and Angel lost track of time as she leaned on the table and just gazed at his face.

"I'd say someone's infatuated," Forrest's voice cut in, and Angel started.

"What?" she blushed, turning fiery red.

"Oh, nothing. Food's here!" Forrest grinned, winking at her, as the waitress put down several huge platters of seafood.

"I'd like to propose a toast, in honor of my daughter's birthday," Tom said, standing up and holding a glass of Coke before anyone could start eating.

"A toast!" Jaden cheered, raising his glass.

"May God keep His protective arms around her wherever she may go," Tom said, smiling down at Angel.

"May she always know love and kindness," Jaden added.

"And let her light keep shining!" Forest declared, and everyone cheered, thinking of the young woman's cheerful attitude, her magical necklace never coming to mind.

"Cheers!" Tom called, and everyone toasted.

The evening passed quickly, and then Angel and Tom returned to her studio. They both got into their pajamas and then sat down in the living room.

"I want you to know, honey, before I leave, that I'm so proud of you, and I worry about you," Tom said, taking Angel's hand in his. "These vampire stories are scaring me. As soon as you graduate, I have every intention of bringing you away from this city to somewhere safer."

"Thanks Dad," Angel smiled sadly, knowing that she wouldn't be safe anywhere.

"Before I leave tomorrow, I want to give you this," Tom said, pulling a velvet case out of his pocket. "For some reason, I didn't want to give this to you for any of your other birthdays, but this one just seems fitting."

Angel took the case and opened it. Tears filled her eyes when she saw the black diamond ring there.

"This was Mom's ring," she said quietly, gazing at the exquisite jewel.

"Yes. Before she died in that car accident, she told me she wanted you to have it when I believed you were ready. I feel as though you've matured a great deal more and truly become a lady over these past couple of years in New York. I have missed you terribly, but you would be miserable traveling all over the world, getting on a new plane almost every day. And I know you like to be with me, but you would be so unhappy, Angel. Were it not for that, I would gladly spend every day with you, but I want you to be happy…and safe."

"I'm as safe as I possibly can be, Dad," Angel smiled, putting her arms around him. "You've done a good job taking care of me. And thank you so much for Mom's ring. I wear her necklace all the time. I'll wear her ring too."

"We are both so proud of you," Tom said, squeezing her tightly.


	12. Mr Vladimir Vorsk

**Thank you to those who have been reviewing! I really appreciate it! Enjoy!**

**Mr. Vladimir Vorsk**

Angel gazed out the window, the next day, as the airplane came to land on the English flight line. Her mind flitted back to the previous night when her dad had given her the ring. She glanced down at her finger to see that it was still there, reminding her of his love and his concern. Oh, how good it had been to spend time with him!

"You doing okay?" Crystal asked, glancing to the side to look at Angel. "You didn't seem to enjoy the flight."

"I don't like flying," Angel said with a sheepish smile.

"And what's with the stuffed bear?" Forrest asked, indicating the brown, plush stuffed animal in Angel's arms as he stood up.

"A gift from Jaden," Angel laughed. "He told me to squeeze it every time I got scared during the flight."

"The poor bear. I'm surprised his stuffing isn't coming out," Crystal grinned, grabbing her duffel bag from Forrest and then stepping out into the aisle of the plane. "You ready for England?"

"I am. Vladimir is supposed to have a driver waiting for us, isn't he?" Angel grinned.

"He is. He's quite the sophisticated English gentleman. You should have heard him over the phone," Forrest chuckled and handed her her bag. "Let's get off this thing. I'm ready to stretch."

The three New Yorkers made their way off the plane and into the English airport. They were pleased when, as soon as they stepped into the baggage area, they caught sight of an older man standing there, dressed in a suit and cap.

"You must be Henderson," Forrest said, extending his hand to the older man. "I am Forrest, and these two ladies are Crystal and Angel."

"A pleasure meeting you," Henderson bowed and then gestured with his hand. "Shall we go? Even as we speak, preparations are being made for tonight's banquet. Mr. Vorsk would like to speak with all of you before the festivities begin."

"We certainly shan't keep him waiting then," Crystal said cheerfully, walking outside to where the man's Rolls Royce was waiting.

"Vladimir certainly is rich," Forrest whispered to Angel as they got into the car.

"No kidding," she nodded.

"How far exactly is it from here to Mr. Vorsk's estate?" Forrest asked aloud as Henderson finished putting the luggage in the back of the car and then got into the driver's seat.

"Not more than forty-five minutes, sir."

"Wonderful. We're ready to stretch a bit," Forrest smiled politely as the car was started and Henderson began to drive.

Angel gazed out her window quietly for the whole drive, watching the beautiful landscape that they passed. There were pine trees everywhere, draped with snow, and great open fields covered in white.

"Oh wow," Forrest said presently, and Angel turned to look out his window.

There, looming above the pine trees, was an enormous 19th century estate. The house was made of dark wood and looked very much like the English version of the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina.

"What exactly does Mr. Vorsk do for a living?" Crystal asked as the car stopped and Forrest opened the door.

"This estate was obtained by means of a wealthy benefactress who had a great deal of interest in Mr. Vorsk," Henderson said, opening Angel's door. "Miss Angel?"

"It's amazing!" She breathed, gazing up at the immense entranceway.

"Indeed it is," Henderson said, opening the front doors for them and then unloading their luggage.

Angel was the first to step into the magnificent greeting room. She gazed about her in awe, marveling at the exquisite stair banisters and stairs, the immense, painted ceiling, and the huge crystal chandelier that stood above her. She was so deep in thought, amazed with the house, that she didn't hear a footstep on the stairs.

"It seems you enjoy good craftsmanship," a pleasant, deep English voice spoke, interrupting her thoughts.

She turned her head and gazed up the stairs to see a man, taller than she, but not by much, with exquisite multi-colored eyes and windswept blonde hair, standing firmly in place, gazing down at her. His eyes were dancing, and he had an entrancing smile on his face. He didn't appear to be much older than forty, but Angel was never a good judge of age.

"Mr. Vorsk?" she asked, watching him walk elegantly down the stairs, letting his hand sweep along the banister.

"Indeed I am, but please, just call me Vladimir. You must be my guests from the United States," Vladimir said, watching a servant rush by with decorations for the upcoming banquet.

"We are. I am Officer Forrest Black, this is Officer Crystal Montaze, and the woman you just spoke to is Miss Angel Turner," Forrest said with a nod.

"A pleasure meeting each of you," Vladimir smiled, bowing stiffly. "Henderson will show you each to your room, and then, once you are comfortable and unpacked, I would delight in speaking with you. I know you came to ask me about my story, and it is every author's greatest dream to be asked questions about his story. Henderson."

"This way, if you please," Henderson said, and he led the Americans up to the third floor and showed them each to their separate rooms.

Angel found herself in an immense bedroom with a great walnut wardrobe, a huge writing desk, an immense bed, and a great, full-sized mirror. There was a window at the far end of the room, covered by dark green drapes, and she moved to it and pushed the drapes aside. She was met with a gorgeous view of the English countryside covered in snow.

Forrest and Crystal were waiting with Vladimir in a great sitting room, before a huge, roasting fire, when Angel arrived.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I was just so busy looking at your beautiful house, Mr. Vladimir."

"It is exquisite, if I do say so myself," he said, gazing about, his one blue eye shining in the firelight. "Do have a seat and some tea, Miss Angel. I was informed that you were the one with the most questions. Please tell me what you wish to know. Unfortunately, the celebration shall begin in only a little over and hour, so we haven't much time now to speak."

"How did you come up with such an amazing, unique story?" Angel asked, leaning forward to study him as she spoke.

"Books, my dear Miss Angel. History books about the vampires. I did have a bit of help as well," Vladimir said thoughtfully, gazing into the fire.

"These books…are they real or are they fiction?"

"Oh, as real as any books ever could be. They date all the way back into the 1300s."

"What help did you have?" Crystal asked.

"Help from the vampires, of course," Vladimir said with a graceful wave of his hand.

"The vampires? You mean, you speak with them?" Forrest asked.

"Several of them frequent this house," Vladimir sighed. "I can't get rid of them. They come and they go as they please, mainly into my library."

"Is that where your ancient books are?" Angel asked.

"Oh, most definitely," Vladimir nodded. "You are welcome to go there any time you wish."

"Now, about the girl with the necklace," Forrest said smoothly. "What is her story in these history books?"

"There was one, according to the texts, a woman with a pure heart, who would overcome the vampires, destroying them. She had some sort of a light. Not much is said about it, but the script plainly reads that the vampires would be destroyed when 'the light consumes the darkness.' The girl was synonymous with that light."

"How peculiar," Angel mused. "Now, when you say the vampires helped you, how exactly did they?"

"One of them, the leader of them, has spoken to me on occasion," Vladimir sighed, closing his eyes and leaning back. "I told him he'd be free to come and go if he'd leave me alone and just stay in the library. Naturally, I asked him why he had interest in that particular room, and he explained that there was some information there, about a girl, that he needed to have. He flits in and out so frequently and so silently, that I dubbed him the name Ghost. He appears and disappears so much like one. If it weren't for the books being left open in the library, I would never know he was there."

"What questions have you asked him before?" Forrest asked.

"Mainly about the girl. There were some references to the vampire king, as he was called, falling in love with her in order to betray her and save himself and the others. He denied adamantly that such a prophecy was true. He declared he would never fall in love with a woman. They were prey, and that was all. He laughed at the very idea of falling in love with a human and said he'd sooner kill one than love one. That's something strange about him, I suppose. He romances women to survive, but he never has gone far with them. Just far enough to kill them, which doesn't take much."

"Why did you let the girl die in the movie?" Angel asked, deep in thought.

"I truly enjoyed writing about the vampires," Vladimir smiled again. "They were wonderful characters to create and bring to life. It would have hurt too badly to kill them off. It was far more tragic with the girl dying, anyway."

"So…in the stories, she doesn't really die?" Angel asked.

"I'm not sure. The end of any great thing requires an enormous sacrifice. The end of the Old Testament required the blood of the Savior, did it not?" Vladimir asked reasonably.

"How true. But a human woman could hardly be described as anyone of such great power and glory," Crystal frowned.

"I don't know the answer to that question. Ghost is the only one who seems to know everything," Vladimir answered. "Ah! Here are the treats! Biscuits, anyone?" he asked, gesturing to a platter of cookies that Henderson brought in.

"I would like to see your library, sir," Angel said quietly as Vladimir offered her the cookies.

"Most definitely. You may go in there any time you wish. It's down this hallway, at the end of the house. It's easy enough to find," Vladimir said.

As soon as the snack was over, Angel made her way to her room and pulled out her gown. She gazed at it admiringly, letting her hand stroke down the smooth silk. The dress was made of the finest material in New York. It was a long, silver gown with tiny black glass beads making a path from her waistline all the way down to her train. The sleeves draped just off the shoulders, and flowing down from them was black silk with gentle ruffles, making the top of the gown look like a pirate shirt. The dress opened up at the front of the skirt, showing more of the black silk ruffles. The neckline was a bit low, falling about three inches below Angel's neck, but she countered it, drawing attention to her face with a silver chain and a black onyx pendant. She wrapped her magical diamond carefully around her wrist and then undressed and pulled her gown on, covering the diamond with her long sleeves. She then proceeded to pull back her hair, pinning it just so it was out of her face, leaving the long waves dancing about her shoulders and back. She added some onyx and diamond earrings, applied just the smallest bit of makeup, and then gazed at herself in the large mirror.

She looked like a princess, dark and mysterious, and yet somehow maintaining her precious light. She played with her sleeves a bit, pulling them up onto her shoulders, but they simply slipped off, and she pulled hair over her skin to cover it.

"Angel?" Forrest's voice asked from behind the bedroom door.

"Yes?"

"You ready for this huge banquet? There are over a hundred people here, and at least half of them are staying over for the night!"

"I'm coming," Angel said and then opened the bedroom door.

Forrest took a long step back.

"Wow!" he exclaimed, and then laughed, a cell phone at his ear. "Jaden's on the phone, Angel. What, Jaden? Oh yes, she's definitely drop dead gorgeous. Hmm? Yeah, I'll keep the other guys away from her, and I will get a picture. Hold on. I'll take one for you now. Oh never mind. Sorry. I forgot. Angel, he wants to talk to you," Forrest said, handing her the phone.

"Hi Jay!" Angel said happily, following Forrest down the corridor and down a flight of stairs.

"How's everything going?" his soothing voice asked. "Learning anything?"

"Oh, lots! Vladimir knows Ghost," Angel said, lowering her voice. "He comes here sometimes."

"You be careful then. I'm not going to hold you up, because I know you're going to the banquet, but be careful and have a good time."

"I will," Angel smiled. "Bye Jaden."

She closed the phone and then handed it to Forrest.

"You know, you look absolutely delicious," he said, taking her hand in his as they walked down the stairs.

"Such wording," she blushed and then smiled when Vladimir approached them at the foot of the stairs.

"My goodness!" he exclaimed. "She's a princess! Might I have your first dance of the evening, Miss Angel?" he asked with a charming grace.

"Has the dancing begun already?" Angel asked, hearing music coming from the ballroom.

"Indeed it has."

"I don't usually dance," Angel said, biting her lip.

"It's a special occasion though, Angel," Forrest said, giving her a push from the back. "And he is letting us stay here," he whispered to her.

Angel sighed and took Vladimir's offered hand, marveling at how warm it was.

"I accept, sir," she smiled and then let him lead her onto the dance floor.

Vladimir had hired a live group of musicians to play for the evening, and Angel was uncomfortable as he began to dance, leading her.

"The only time I ever dance is for our play," she said uncertainly, trying to follow his footing. "And we waltz."

"I know a bit about waltzing," he said, and then drew her closer.

He began to waltz, professionally and perfectly, and Angel kept up with him perfectly. She found, as she looked into his face, that he didn't seem quite as old as forty, and yet, he had such a mature look about him, surely he couldn't have been any younger. He was strangely charming, his eyes were captivating, and his lips were so inviting, Angel found her eyes resting on them.

"You seem intrigued by something," Vladimir said, turning her as they moved.

"I can't tell how old you are," she blushed, stammering over her words.

"My stories keep me young," Vladimir explained, nodding. "And when you're young at heart, it keeps you fairly young in body. I wonder, Miss Angel, how a woman of your grace and charm has come to find such an interest in vampires?"

"I live in New York. Several of them are there, and I have seen Ghost personally," Angel said carefully.

"Oh dear," Vladimir frowned. "How close were you? That's rather a precarious position for a woman such as yourself to be in."

"Oh, close enough," Angel said. "Do…do the vampires dance like this?"

"You have rather the interest in them," Vladimir chuckled. "They used to waltz sometimes, yes, but they had their own dances that were more like the Tango than a waltz. There was one dance, the 'Dance of Death,' as it was referred to, that they would obviously dance with their prey."

"And did their prey die?" Angel asked.

"My dear girl, most definitely with the way that dance was. The vampire would basically have his face near the girl's throat the whole time. It was such a fast dance, and so close, that the woman was sure to die, quite blissfully, never knowing what hit her."

"That's disgusting," Angel frowned.

"I'm trying to remember a few of the moves the vampires did, that Ghost told me about," Vladimir said thoughtfully. "Oh, of course there was this one."

He put his hands to Angel's back and then tilted her back, making her bend uncomfortably, completely trusting him to hold her up. Before she could fall, he pulled her back up and twirled her before pulling her close, his hand on her waist and his other hand in hers.

"Wow!" she spoke breathlessly, her smoky gray eyes wide.

"It was a dance with a great deal of close contact," Vladimir nodded. "It was fast, effective, and usually procured the vampire a good meal." His breath brushed against her skin, and she found, for a few fleeting seconds, that she couldn't breathe.

"I just don't understand how anyone could do that," Angel said, shaking her head, clearing her mind. "How could someone toy with a woman like that and then just kill her? Don't vampires have emotions or feelings?"

"They don't have hearts," Vladimir said, his eyebrows narrowed. "Surely you know that. That's why they can't die easily."

"But in your movie, the vampire fell in love with the girl. He was heartbroken when she died," Angel answered.

"That was Hollywood," Vladimir said, shaking his head. "Vampires don't have hearts, therefore, they don't have feelings."

"Then why hasn't…"

"Why hasn't what?" Vladimir asked, an eyebrow arched.

"Nothing," Angel said quickly, covering her mistake. "I've asked too many questions. I'm sorry."

"I don't mind. I enjoy it," Vladimir smiled. "Would you like to get something to eat?"


	13. Rivals

**Rivals**

The banquet came to an end, late into the night. As the last guests were making their way to their rooms, Angel stepped into a dark corridor and made her way quietly into the library. This room was enormous. There were shelves upon shelves of books, and there were ladders throughout the room, reaching up to higher shelves and more books. There was a blazing, enormous fireplace at the end of the room, and there were many leather couches positioned in front of it.

Angel grabbed a few books, all of them on the history of the vampires and all of them at least a couple of hundreds of years old, and then made her way to the couch before the fire. Her mind was very full as she began to flip through the dusty pages, trying to find any information about herself and her necklace. Dust puffed off the pages, and most of the books were written in Latin, burdening Angel's heavy mind more. There was so much she needed to learn. Would the vampires truly kill her? Did they really not have hearts? And their dance, the "Dance of Death," did women actually fall for that? How long had these dark creatures existed? Where did they come from?

She flipped through book after book, finding bits and pieces of what Vladimir had told her, but never anything else.

Hours passed, and yet Angel kept studying. The great grandfather clock in the room chimed every hour, finally chiming only twice, indicating that it was two o'clock in the morning, and yet Angel didn't hear it. She was so absorbed in her books and so comfortable on the couch that she didn't feel a cold breeze rush through the room, and she didn't see the shadow lurking towards her from the now-closed door.

She was slowly falling asleep, tired from the time change, the traveling, the banquet, and the downpour of information. She was just beginning to close her book when she felt hands, gentle and slender, on her shoulders. She felt her eyes drifting closed as the hands brushed against her skin and moved slowly down her shoulders to her forearms. They traced her arms, making their way down to her wrists. She sucked in a deep breath, still trying to determine if, in her weariness, this was a dream, or if it was actually happening.

Her intimidator seemed to know this, and so he moved his hands away from her wrists, momentarily, and let them slide slowly back up her arms. He then brought his fingers to her neck, tracing her skin with his fingertips before he let them grace across her collarbones and then begin to move downwards, stroking her heated flesh, moving towards where her necklace would normally be, hidden beneath the fabric of her dress…

As soon as one of those hands moved to the fabric, hoping to find her necklace, Angel jumped to her feet, adrenaline pounding through her, spun around, and placed the cold steel of her dagger, which she had brought purposefully and placed beneath one of her books, on the person's neck.

"Well, well, well," her intruder spoke, his face hidden by a hood. "You came armed."

"Game's up, Vladimir," Angel hissed, pushing the blade harder against his skin. "I know what you are."

"And I most certainly know what you are," he grinned, pushing back the hood of his cloak, his blue and brown eyes staring hard into hers.

"I'm not blind. I knew there was something wrong with you the minute I stepped in this house," Angel said, pushing him back, her eyes burning into his. "How could you have known so much about vampires? They don't just come up and talk to people, unless they want them dead. And Ghost. How could you know about him?"

"And why were you, such a beautiful young woman, so strangely fascinated with vampires?" Vladimir asked, his fangs showing as he spoke.

"I know I can't kill you, but I can certainly make you back off. You wanted this, Vladimir? Here you go," Angel scowled, pulling her sleeve back and letting her necklace shine brilliantly into his face.

He hissed and stepped back, away from her blade, shielding his eyes.

"And you asked if vampires have hearts?" he snarled, looking away from her as the light threatened to blind him.

"You intended to kill me," Angel said, keeping her light in front of her. "Did you really think I would let that happen?"

"Indeed you are clever, but I don't believe you've had a chance yet to truly see a bloodthirsty vampire in action," Vladimir hissed, crouching down. "Ghost is nothing compared to me. And my name is Valiris. Vladimir sounds so…Russian."

"I've seen an angry vampire before," Angel said uncomfortably, beginning to back away.

"I hardly consider Ghost to be ferocious," Val hissed and then suddenly leaped at her.

Angel screamed as he grabbed hold of her necklace, hiding the diamond in his hand, and then grabbed her throat with his free one. She brought her dagger up and slid it across his cheek, drawing blood and making him shout in fury. He let go of her throat and grabbed the blade, wrenching it from her, and then let out a rush of air when she kicked him in the chest and began to run towards the doorway.

"Oh no you don't!" he snarled and then lunged at her, grabbing her hard by her shoulders and slamming her against one of the bookshelves. She let out a cry of pain as one of the books jammed into her back, but she refused to give up. She grabbed hold of the ladder next to her and then slid it violently in front of her body, shielding her, just for a moment, from Val, and knocking it hard into his hands. He growled and then grabbed hold of the ladder. With one smooth pull, he ripped it off the wall, pulling apart her hiding place, and then flung it to the side, letting it crash against a large vase as he did so.

She kicked up hard at his face, but he caught her foot and then twisted her leg, making her cry in pain and flip over, landing on her stomach on the floor. She struggled to get up and kept screaming as he grabbed her from the back and dragged her to her feet. She knew that she could never stop screaming, for someone in the house was sure to hear her, and that only infuriated Val more. He pulled her hard against him and wrapped his arm around her stomach, holding her tightly, nearly suffocating her in his tight hold.

"Stop screaming," he hissed against her ear, making her fight and scream all the more.

"Let me go!" she cried out, her voice loud throughout the room. "Val, if you don't let me go, I'll…"

"I warned you to stop screaming," he hissed and then spun her around so she could look up at him.

"I'll scream until I can't scream any longer! Even if you do kill me, everyone will know who did it!" Angel shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Foolish girl!" Val hissed and then silenced her, pressing his lips forcefully against hers with a snarl.

She screamed in the back of her throat, punching him with all her worth as he held her close and growled, effectively muffling her with his mouth, as he moved his lips hard against hers. There was nothing slightly sentimental about this, nothing kind, just the hard, cold kiss of a killer, intent on killing his prey no matter how he had to do it.

He smiled against her mouth when he felt her beginning to cave in, such heat rushing through her body that she could barely contain herself and keep fighting. This sensation was so violent, and yet so pleasant, that her tired mind couldn't comprehend it all. She beat her fists weakly against him, trying to beat into her mind that this was wrong. But how could it be? It was passionate, desperate; dark as night, and everything she had ever wanted for her first kiss. For her first kiss…

Angel's eyes widened and she began to hit him harder. She became acutely aware of her mother's ring on her finger, and with a sudden burst of inspiration, she brought the ring up hard against Val's cheek and then dragged it down to his chin.

He shouted, flinging her away from him so hard that she crashed against one of the bookshelves and then fell, nearly unconscious, to the floor.

"You vicious, deplorable snake!" he howled, storming towards her. "How dare you! How dare you even think to attack me in such a manner!"

"I don't care! I'd do it again!" Angel screamed, trembling, her hands shaking as she put one of her hands against her mouth and rubbed it hard against her lips, terrorized by what he had just done, what she had just _allowed _him to do.

"You'll never have a chance," he snarled and then flung himself at her, diving in for the kill, his fangs exposed and his eyes dark with hatred. He immediately pressed his mouth against her neck and then shifted himself, ready to destroy her.

Angel closed her eyes, preparing to die, when she heard Val let out a cry of surprise. He was suddenly pulled off her, his fangs slipping against her skin, making her scream in pain. She opened her eyes when she heard another voice, furious, shouting something at her attacker, and she watched, horrified, as another man, this one taller and broader than Val, jump at Val and slam his fist hard across the evil man's face. That didn't stop the vampire. He raised Angel's dagger at his attacker and then brought it slamming into the man's shoulder, making him howl in anger. The man in the cloak then slammed his fist into Val's stomach and, faster than Angel could think, brought his right foot crashing against Val's face. Val stumbled back, dazed only momentarily, and Angel's rescuer rushed to her and pulled her to her feet. Without a word, he dragged her over to the library window and pulled her through it, out into the biting cold air and the heavy snow.

Not a word was spoken as the cloaked figure dragged Angel through the snow to a tall, black horse that stood waiting. Angel didn't object as the stranger picked her up easily, placed her at the front of the horse's back, and then swung up behind her. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding the horse's reins, and then urged the stallion into a gallop.

The horse took off running through the snow, tossing his head up and down as he battled the snow banks.

Angel didn't know how long they rode. Her mind was dazed. That man, that wretched, wicked vampire, had kissed her. She has just lost her most valuable, precious possession…to a murderer! How could he? How could he take that from her?

She began to cry, two hours into the ride, her body heaving against her rescuer's body, tears freezing on her face almost as soon as they began to flow.

The horse came to a stop, and the cloaked man swung off the horse's back and then turned to help Angel.

"Not you!" she cried, seeing that he was, indeed, Ghost. "I've had enough of your kind! Why couldn't you just let him kill me?"

"That's enough," Ghost said firmly. "What is all this crying about? Stop it immediately!"

"No!" she screamed, swinging off the horse's back and landing painfully in the snow. She gazed at the whiteness as she stood up, noticing immediately that there was crimson staining the snow where her right hand had been. She looked at her hand to see blood there, and then realized, frightened, that the blood had come from her neck. She had been covering it as she rode, but now it was streaming steadily, staining her skin.

"Oh no!" she kept crying, stumbling away from Ghost and then collapsing at the foot of a large pine tree.

"Is crying going to help anything?" Ghost asked harshly, kneeling down in front of her.

"Just stop it!" she shouted, putting her left hand up to keep him away. "I just lost something that meant the world to me!"

"You didn't lose your life. What is your problem?" Ghost frowned.

"I lost my kiss," Angel whispered, curling up in a tight ball, her whole body shivering from the cold. "He stole it from me, and I can never get it back."

"You're bleeding badly," Ghost said, suddenly gentler, softer.

"Go ahead and drink it all up. I'm about as good as dead with you anyway," Angel cried, closing her eyes tightly as her lips began to turn blue from the cold.

"You're freezing," Ghost said, kneeling down behind her and pulled her close to him. He pulled her into his arms and wrapped his cloak around her, immediately warming her chilled body.

"Why are you here?" she whispered, tears coursing down her cheeks. "You're supposed to be in New York."

"I couldn't let you walk right into a trap without help. Val is my rival. I can't let him destroy you," Ghost said, taking her bloodstained hand in his and studying it carefully.

"You came all the way from New York to…to save me?" Angel asked, her clouded eyes gazing up at his hood.

"I did," he murmured and then pressed his mouth to the blood on her right hand.

"Just so you can destroy me later," she whispered, watching him suck the blood off her palm.

"You worry so much about the future. How's that going to help you?" he muttered, cleaning her hand with his mouth. "Just be quiet for a minute and breathe."

She closed her mouth and then let her eyes shut tiredly. She was so weary, she hardly cared that he was there. She lay back against his chest, his warmth radiating into her, and let out a long sigh as his mouth moved from her palm to each individual finger. He took his time, letting his lips move gently against her fingers as he drew the blood into his mouth. She tasted so good, and for some strange reason, Ghost was able to control himself. With any other woman, he would have been in an immense frenzy by now, like a shark, devouring her, but with Angel, somehow, things were different.

He let his lips linger on her fingers when the blood was gone, gently kissing her fair skin. He could smell the blood on her neck, still streaming, but knew better than to go there without permission.

"Ghost," Angel breathed slowly, cuddling up closer to him, completely exhausted. "Can you…would you stop the bleeding? You did it once before. Would you do it again?"

"You're asking me to put my face near your neck," Ghost said firmly, moving his mouth away from her hand.

"I am. You haven't killed me yet, and you've been drinking my blood. And even if you were to kill me now, I wouldn't care. I'm so tired, and so upset."

"It was only a kiss," Ghost muttered, moving his nose to her neck and taking in a deep breath of her blood. "That was all."

"That's simple for you to say. You've already gone and thrown away your all to who knows how many women. I have been saving that kiss for someone special," Angel said quietly.

"You know your problem?" he growled, her blood finally beginning to play with his senses. "You're too pure. You have no clue what it's like to be loved, to a frenzy, so passionately that you can't stop yourself from…"

"Killing people?" Angel finished, turning so she could look at his face.

His pupils were dilated and his irises dark, gazing steadfastly at her neck.

"Yes," he whispered, and something like regret flickered across his crimson orbs, visible beneath the hood. "You sure you want me to clean that for you?"

"I trust you. I don't know why, but I do," Angel nodded, and then tilted her head to the side, letting him get at her neck.

She gasped when his grabbed the side of her neck that wasn't bleeding and then flung his mouth at her cut.

He held her tightly, his one hand clinging to her hair viciously as his mouth moved against her blood, drinking her blood ferociously, his lips moving fiercely against her skin. She couldn't breathe as his heated breath rushed over her skin, coming from his nostrils as he moved his mouth deeply against her cut, his fangs constantly pressing against her neck, but never puncturing her. Her breathing became heavier as he became faster. She knew he was starting to lose control, due to the way his breathing was rushing over her and the way he was moving his hands to pull her closer. For some reason, she had difficulty convincing herself that she wanted him to stop.

The cut stopped bleeding and he pulled his mouth away from the scratch, letting his lips move against her throat and then trace a trail up to her ear.

"You are absolutely heavenly," he murmured against her ear, wrapping his arms around her body and pulling her tightly against him. "Just one touch from you would be enough to satisfy me for the rest of my life."

"One touch would bring about my death," she said, grabbing his hands and trying to pull them away from her, but she was too tired, and she collapsed while trying. "You can let go now."

"Why the hurry?" he smiled against her cheek, his teeth brushing against her skin.

"Because Forrest and Crystal are going to be worried to death about me when they find out I'm gone," she sighed, letting her eyes close.

"They've both been drugged. They won't be awake for quite some time yet," Ghost said, kissing her temple and then the corner of her lips. "Besides," he said, his warm breath blowing against her lips, "I know you have hundreds of questions that I might be able to answer."

"Fine," she yawned tiredly. "What are you? How did vampires come to exist? Can they really turn into bats or turn people into vampires? Why the fascination with blood? Am I really going to die because of my light? How do vampires die, and when they do, what happens to them? There are so…many questions," she mumbled tiredly.

"It is said that vampires are the fallen angels, the demons that plague the earth," Ghost answered. "But that isn't true. I was born of a man and a woman. Both were vampires."

"When were you born?"

"The early 1500s."

"I never would have thought that," Angel said groggily. "What happened to your parents?"

"They were both killed. My father by an adversary, and my mother just from being a weak woman. She was exceptionally weak for a vampire."

"And you were born a king?"

"I'm the direct descendant of the first vampire, one of the tribe of the Anakims," Jaden said. "Yes, I am a king amongst my own."

"And what about the bats?" Angel asked. "Can you turn into a bat?"

"No," he chuckled. "I can't turn into a bat, I can't fly, and I can't turn any one else into a vampire."

"Then how did those rumors come about and how…do you have children if you can't make anyone a vampire?"

"The bats came with Dracula. Bats always surrounded him, it seems, and we have fangs and some of the same habits that bats do. Flying I guess just came with the whole bat superstition. As for how we multiply…"

He sighed, his breath coming out as smoke.

"We have to have children by a vampire or by a human woman. All the female vampires are dead. There have been traitors, for thousands of years, in our midst, that wants only a select group of vampires to remain alive so they can have their own territory without rivals, one of whom you just met. They killed off the females. And while some of us may try to have children by humans, that always ends up disastrous," he shrugged. "The women are killed before anything serious can happen."

"How can you die?" Angel breathed, letting her head fall back against his chest.

"Only by the bite of another vampire…or by you."

"And what happens after that?"

"Our fate was decided long before I came into existence. We're evil creatures without a heart. We are doomed to eternal fire."

"I never thought about that," Angel said, suddenly looking up into his hood. "How awful!"

"I don't want your pity," he scowled as she moved her hand to one of his.

"And I don't want to destroy you," Angel said, closing her eyes as she squeezed his hand. "There's something about you that tells me you aren't fully evil. And I don't want to be a murderer. I have no clue how I'm supposed to kill you, and I never want to know."

"It has to do with your light," he said, running his fingers through her tousled hair. "Do me a favor," he said, moving his lips to her ear again and whispering, "Keep it safe."

She didn't seem to hear him, for she was fast asleep, curled up comfortably against him, his cloak and body keeping her warm and shielded from the snow.

"So precious," he whispered, running his icy fingertips against her cheek as she breathed against him. "So pure and innocent. If only you could avoid the danger that awaits you."

Angel woke up, how much later she didn't know, to find herself in her room at Vladimir's, tucked carefully under her blankets. She was so warm and comfortable, that she spent some time snuggling up in her pillows, breathing in long, deep breaths of satisfaction. She had slept so remarkably well. Perhaps it had all been a dream…

No, it hadn't been. The imagined pressure on Angel's lips reassured her of that. She had been forcefully kissed, she had been hurt, and she had been frightened out of her mind.

"Why did he do that?" she asked, tears welling in her eyes as her fingers brushed against her lips. "How could he have? And I'm still in his house!"

She gasped and swung off the bed, noticing that she was still dressed in her gown. Hurriedly, she ran to her wardrobe, pulled out a pair of jeans and a dark green shirt, and then changed clothes. She needed to get out of here. She was still in Val's house, and while he wasn't bothering her now, once he knew she was back in the building, he could possibly do worse than before. He had stolen a kiss, a kiss that was one of the most precious things in the world to Angel, but she refused to let him steal anything else.

Quickly, she grabbed all her clothes and threw them into her suitcase.

There was a knock on the door just as Angel was finishing closing her suitcase, and she walked to the door and spoke.

"Yes?"

"Angel, this is Forrest. We're getting out of here. Now."

"I'm all ready," Angel said, throwing the door open and then carrying her suitcase out of the room, much to Forrest's surprise.

"You…already knew?" Forrest asked worriedly, rushing down the hall with her towards the front doors.

"Check this out," she said, pulling her collar down low enough for him to see the scratch.

"Angel!" Crystal cried as Angel and Forrest rushed out the doors to the awaiting cab.

"I'm okay," Angel said. "Let's just get out of here."

She jumped into the car, and then driver immediately drove away from the estate.

Memories of the previous night rushed to Angel's mind like a torrent. She recalled how Val had snuck up behind her and touched her, and she puzzled over why she had waited for his hands to get to her neck before she attacked. Had he really entranced her, or was that just her way of getting him close enough to fight back? And when he kissed her… Oh, she remembered that perfectly! Fresh tears sprung to her eyes as she remembered his force, his cruelty, and his dominance.

But then Ghost had saved her. For some strange reason, he was keeping her alive. And then he had cleaned her wounds without killing her. His touch, that deep, yet soft touch, had been so wonderful. There had been something so special about it, so safe.

"Angel?" Crystal asked quietly, seeing a tear stream down Angel's cheek. "Are you okay?"

"I'll…I'll be fine," Angel whispered, resting her head against the window. "It was a rough night."

"Care to explain what happened?" Forrest asked.

"No. Not now. Maybe after we get home, but not now," Angel said, shaking her head.

Forrest did the nicest thing anyone could have ever done for Angel. As soon as the girl stepped into the John F. Kennedy Airport, a pair of muscular, powerful arms engulfed her, and she was pulled close against a solid, warm body.

"Oh Angel, you sweet, precious thing," Jaden whispered against her cheek as she threw her arms around him and held him close, letting the tears of fear, worry, and grief fall. "Forrest called me before you got here."

"I'm sorry!" she sobbed, making his shirt wet with his tears. "I didn't mean to come home and be like this!"

"It's okay," he said quietly, rubbing her back and then letting his fingers trace worriedly across her neck. He couldn't see her skin at all, but he felt the abrasion beneath his sensitive fingertips. He wanted desperately to know what had happened to her, but he knew now wasn't the time.

"There are more vampires in the city now," he spoke to Forrest as the man and Crystal passed him. "They've been watching me."

"They're after her," Forrest said, indicating Angel. "That's one of the reasons I called you to come here. She needs someone with her at all times. Someone at night and somewhere during the day. She was attacked in England. I know that only because someone left me a letter, written in scarlet, ordering me to take better care of her. She was with Ghost. I don't know what they did, but she was with him. And Vladimir is one of the vampires. This girl is about to go through serious torment, and she needs someone to protect her. I know you're blind, but you have a sixth sense of sorts, and you can hear and pick up on things better than any of us can. Would you be wiling to protect her? Crystal is needed at the office frequently, so she can't always with be with Angel."

"My poor Angel," Jaden said, pulling back slightly to look into her eyes. "You've been through so much. I'll protect you with my life, don't worry."

"There's no stopping them," she whispered, a lone tear streaming down her cheek.

He caught it with his fingertip and then brushed it away.

"Let's go get you some coffee. I don't intend to leave you alone at all during the day. Tomorrow night we have our first play. Do you think you'll be able to handle it?" Jaden asked, taking her arm and leading her out of the airport, her suitcase thrown over his shoulder.

"I think so," she nodded, wiping her tears away.

"You aren't wearing a heavy enough coat for the weather. Here," Jaden said, putting her suitcase down and pulling off his leather jacket. "It'll keep you warm."

"Jaden, you're the sweetest guy I have ever known," Angel said, pulling the jacket on.

"Mm… Forrest is the one that called me to come," Jaden smiled. "When we get to Starbucks, I want you to tell me everything that happened."

"Don't worry. I will," Angel nodded.

Night fell again, and Val stood outside of his immense home, gazing at his snow-covered property from his balcony.

That woman, the one with the light, had escaped him. Ghost had, once again, interfered with his plans, and he was furious. How dare the mutt ruin his advances! How dare he stop Val from taking his pleasure! That slimy, low-down, good-for-nothing bloodsucker!

Ah, but that moment of kissing her had been rather heavenly. If he had been given the chance, he would have gone farther, pushing her to wear down her defenses and enjoy some physical pleasure before he killed her. He could have even gotten her, with a bit of coaxing, to give her the necklace, showing how terribly weak that human girl was.

There was a sound from above Val's head, and he smiled smugly, leaning on the railing.

"Back so soon, Ghost? Did you enjoy your time with the girl?"

Ghost dropped down behind him, having leaped from the roof, and then he stood up tall and didn't say a word.

Val, still smirking, turned to face him, and he was caught off-guard when the man grabbed him hard by the throat and slammed him hard against the wall of the house, making Val's teeth click painfully together.

"You idiot! How dare you take from her what is rightfully mine!" Ghost screamed, pressing his hands hard against Val's shoulders.

"What? Her kiss?" Val laughed. "You poor moron. Since when did you think that belonged to you? She's been saving it for that blind boy. I've been watching her. I know a good deal about her. And since when are kisses and romance reserved amongst us? We romance before we kill. You aren't any exception to that."

"As the lord of the vampires, I am the one that shall be the woman's downfall, not you. Don't forget your place," Ghost hissed. "You thoroughly terrorized her. She's going to be even more adamant against us now."

"Hence the reason I myself, personally, am also going to New York," Val nodded. "Why don't you relax a little, Ghost, and leave the killing to someone more…professional?"

"You keep this one thing in mind," Ghost hissed, pressing his face closer to Val and pushing his hood back, so Val could see his glowing eyes. "Angel is mine. I will be the one to woo her, and I will be the one to destroy her. Have I made that perfectly clear?"

"You're weak, Ghost. She's making you as limp as a dead body," Val laughed. "I'll give you a little more time to work on her, Ghost, but I'm going to let my men toy with her a bit, to keep her spirits high for when you finally find her. Maybe, with a little bit of added pressure, she'll completely succumb to us, like you want her to. She just needs to be scared a bit more, that's all."

"You hurt her again, and I will kill you," Ghost said, pulling back.

"I'm horrified," Val grinned, watching Ghost disappear.


	14. The Rescuer Rescued

**The Rescuer Rescued**

Angel's life became a steady pattern. She woke up every morning, ate breakfast with Jaden, and then went to school with him. They rehearsed their play and then went to lunch. Once lunch was over, Jaden went to work at Starbucks, and Angel stayed at the police station with Forrest and Crystal, or she went shopping with Crystal. She then ate dinner with whomever she was with and then went to the theater and performed.

The endless schedule was wearing on her, as were the constant shadows she saw looming about, watching her. She began to work with the police again every night, for quite suddenly, New York City was a shelter for vampires. There were so many of them, Angel couldn't keep count. In reality, there were twenty-one vampires. Ghost and his seven followers, and Val and his twelve. Several of these vampires tried to catch Angel alone, so they could harm her, but she was never alone, and they remained quiet, sulking in the darkness.

She knew it was only a matter of time, though, before things turned for the worse, and she was right.

Ghost and his men seemed as nothing compared to what began to happen in her life. Ghost's followers had never really harmed her. They had simply fought the police when threatened. But Val's group…they were vicious. And they were schemers. They could outthink the police, hence the success of their first true attack against Angel.

The last performance of the week had been given, and Angel returned to her dressing room that she shared with the other girls. She quickly got changed into her regular clothes, but she spent some time cleaning up the room afterwards. The others were always throwing their things about, and they left it to Angel to clean everything up. Of course, they knew where everything was all the time, but Angel had difficulty keeping up with her things in the mess, so to satisfy her, they let her clean.

The other women left, and Angel was also about to leave, to meet up with Jaden in the auditorium, when the dressing room door slammed shut. She turned violently to face the door and found a man standing there, his arms folded across his chest, his dark gray eyes boring into hers. She hadn't seen this one's face before, and because of that, she knew he wasn't one of Ghost's men. Ghost's group hadn't tried to attack her ever since she started giving them dinner, but they had threatened her. These new vampires, however, had no respect for her as a person or as a woman. They knew she was their darkest threat, and they wanted her dead because of that. There was no self-control on their parts. These had been the ones going about every night finding some new prey to kill and keeping Angel and the police extremely busy.

Angel didn't say a word; she simply gazed at the vampire and let him get a good, long look at her. After a few long seconds, she turned suddenly and rushed towards the side door, letting out a scream for help as she did so. She slid to a stop and screamed again when she nearly collided against another vampire, who had somehow managed to drop down from the ceiling. She turned her head viciously back and forth, searching for any other escape routes. There was the door behind the first vampire she had seen, now moving stealthily towards her, and perhaps she could rush around him. There was also the closer door, now blocked by another adversary.

Angel had seen enough of these creatures to know that she couldn't possibly outrun them. And if she had thought long and hard enough at the moment, she would have remembered that there really weren't too many ways of outsmarting them. But her adrenaline was rushing within her, with every step closer her enemies came to her, and she decided to act on impulse. There was no time for long thinking. She had to save her life, and she had to do it now.

She let out a cry and then rushed at the vampire guarding the side door. She let her body slam hard into him, not hurting him in the faintest, but catching him greatly off-guard, and then grabbed hold of the doorknob behind him, turning it violently. In so doing, she exposed her neck, and she heard him take in a deep, long breath. The side door swung open, and snow rushed into the room, brushing over Angel and the vampire. Just as she was about to pull away from her attacker, she felt a hand grab her roughly by the back of her neck and pull her towards the body of the other man, the one who had been there first.

"We've waited a long time to catch you so unprepared," he hissed against her ear, letting his fingertips brush against her throat.

"Why did you wait so long?" Angel gasped, sucking in great gulps of air as her head was pulled back against the man's shoulder, her eyes wide with terror.

"Complications. It seems the Ghost didn't want you touched," the man hissed, nuzzling his mouth against the area just below her ear.

"That's strangely thoughtful of him," Angel said, letting her hand sneak to his side where she knew, according to her experiences with the police, they kept daggers or blades of some sort. "Serving Val, are you? I thought he would have come to kill me himself?"

"Oh, he wanted the pleasure," her captor smiled against her skin. "But we want to get it over with. Besides, now that we have you, you'd make an absolutely delightful entrée."

"He sent you. I'm sure he wanted you to bring me to him. I wouldn't mind seeing him again to give him a piece of my mind," Angel said, feeling the dagger handle beneath her fingertips and taking a gentle hold on it, so the vampire wouldn't know she had it.

"We were told, once we got you, to kill you. Now stop moving about," the man smirked, moving his lips to her neck.

"I'm so tired of all of you touching me there," Angel sighed and then drew his dagger and spun violently, bringing the blade to bear against his neck and drawing a heavy stream of blood. He choked and then stumbled back, his blood getting on her jacket. She then lunged at his companion, raising the dagger to stab him also, but he grabbed her upraised hand and then violently brought his mouth down towards her neck.

Before his teeth could touch her, he let out an agonized howl and then spun around to see a cloaked figure standing out in the snow, his hand still raised from when he had flung his dagger at Angel's attacker. Her attacker drew the dagger out of his shoulder and then turned, crouched low, and charged the cloaked figure.

Angel screamed as both men collapsed in the snow, fighting viciously, and the vampire she had wounded grabbed her from behind, moving quickly to shove her hair away from her neck. He picked her up off the ground, holding her tightly against him as she screamed and struggled, always watching her rescuer. She knew, from his build and the way he fought, that he wasn't Ghost, and she was scared for him and for herself. He was so occupied with fighting off one man, that he didn't seem to see her struggling with the other one.

His hands were hard against her stomach, holding her up, and her shirt slipped slightly so that she felt his icy hands on her stomach. She panicked then, trying to turn and see him, kicking back and getting him in the legs. It didn't bother him in the slightest, and he drew back, away from the open door, and then smiled when he saw her would-be rescuer collapse, limply, into the snow.

"No!" Angel screamed, terror flowing through her as her hands rummaged for her necklace. "No!"

"A new battle has begun. The battle with you is about to end, but the war against Ghost and his men has only just started," the vampire hissed, letting his lips move torturously against her throat.

"You would kill one of your own?" she cried, watching the enemy vampire get away from the fallen one and disappear into the cold night air, believing that his companion was going to finish Angel off.

"We hate Ghost and all his followers," the man snarled, letting his mouth open wider to bite her.

"And that's really such a shame," a voice spoke from behind him, and he dropped Angel, hard, and turned to see three other vampires in the shadows of the room.

Angel immediately recognized them as Dorian, Adrian, and Bartholomew, and she let out a long sob.

"Care to leave now, or would you like us to kill you?" Dorian asked, his dark brown eyes glowing as he twirled what appeared to be a cane, but most definitely had some sort of deadliness to it.

"I'll leave, but be sure, Val will hear about this. Tell your master he's as good as destroyed," the vampire hissed and then sprang out into the snow.

"My goodness. Wasn't that close?" Bartholomew said, walking over to Angel and putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Why are you here?" she asked, her eyes bloodshot as she gazed up at him. "You're after me too! Or didn't you know that?"

"Why do you think you haven't been attacked for awhile?" Adrian asked, a faint smile on his face. "We've been protecting you."

"Why, though?"

"Because, while Ghost acts as though he wants you killed, he really wants you to destroy us. And we aren't sharing the reason with you right now," Bartholomew explained. "We won't be able to hold Val off forever, though, as this night clearly shows."

"Oh, one of you was hurt!" Angel cried, suddenly remembering the still form in the snow.

She clambered to her feet and then raced out into the night and dropped down next to the still form of a man in a cloak. Quickly, she grabbed his hood and pulled it back, revealing the face of Whisper.

"Oh no! He isn't dead, is he?" she gasped, grabbing his wrist and searching for a pulse.

"We don't have too much of a pulse, unfortunately," Adrian frowned, kneeling next to Whisper and moving his fingers to the man's throat. "Nothing here."

"He was stabbed," Bartholomew said, pulling Whisper's shirt away to reveal a dagger right next to where the man's heart would be if he had one. Blood was seeping from the wound, and Angel panicked and turned away, suddenly feeling sick.

"It could be stitched up, and he'd be fine," Dorian said, grabbing the dagger and pulling it out of Whisper's chest.

Angel heard the sound of metal pulling through flesh, and she turned her head and hurled.

"This is really bad," Adrian said, inspecting the wound. "And…" He stood up abruptly, sniffing and turning his body away from Whisper. "We can't help him, Angel. If you want that wound to get closed up, you're going to have to take care of it."

"What?" she gasped. "I'll get sick and throw up my insides, and I can't stand the sight of…"

"Angel, please do us a favor and cover up that blood!" Bartholomew pleaded, backing away from Whisper.

"Angel!" Jaden's voice called, and Angel turned to see him rushing towards her, having forced the dressing room door open. "What happened? I heard you screaming and I came as soon as I could, but…"

He slammed into Adrian and would have fallen, but Dorian caught him and helped him stand up.

"Who are these?" Jaden asked worriedly, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Ghost's vampires," Angel said. "A couple of Val's men tried to kill me, and they protected me. Whisper was stabbed in the chest."

"Oh no! Can anything be done for him?" Jaden asked worriedly, grabbing hold of Angel and pulling her tightly to him, to reassure himself that she was safe.

"I…I can stitch up his wound and he should be all right," Angel gulped. "Jay, I can't stand the sight of blood. You know that."

"But it could save a man's life, one of your rescuers," Jaden said quietly, rubbing her back.

"I know," she whispered, trembling, the full force of how much danger she had been in finally hitting her.

"Please do something," Adrian pleaded. "We can't, not without killing him ourselves, and we don't want him to die."

"I'll make a deal with you. I'll help Whisper if you'll tell me why Ghost wants you destroyed, why he won't let anyone kill me," Angel said firmly.

"Fine," Dorian said shortly. "Just close that wound up."

"Get him in here," Angel said quickly and then rushed over to one of the vanities and grabbed a sewing kit.

Dorian had a cigarette lighter that he added to her supplies, and she quickly grabbed a needle, sterilized the end of it, and put some black thread through it. She then knelt down next to Whisper and gulped back the liquid that was coming up her throat.

"There's so much blood. Can any of you clean it up a bit?" she asked weakly, sick to her stomach.

"We'd end up killing him," Adrian said, stepping back more.

"I'll get it," Jaden said, grabbing some loose fabric and kneeling down next to Angel. "Help me get to the wound."

Angel took his hand in hers and then guided it to the great gash in Whisper's chest. Jaden then began to wipe at the blood, flinching when it got on his hands.

"You better take care of him soon," he said. "He's really bleeding."

"Tell me why Ghost wants me alive," Angel said, biting her lip viciously as she moved her quaking hands to Whisper's chest.

"He wants us all dead, as do we," Dorian said, keeping his back turned to Whisper, trying not to think of all the blood.

"But why?" Angel asked, and then threw up again as she inserted the needle in Whisper's skin.

"Because we're evil. We're doomed to a horrific fate. We're all tired of killing people, because we know it's wrong, but we can't stop. We'd be better off dead, and the world would be far better off if we were," Adrian answered. "You have the key to killing us off. We want you to kill us, and quickly. Yes, we'll still be condemned to the same fate, but the world will be a whole lot safer without us. We're nothing but cannibals."

"That's the only reason you aren't killing her?" Jaden asked, putting his hand on Angel's shoulder when he heard her sucking down more throw up as she put in the first stitch, knotted it against Whisper's skin, drawing a great deal more blood, and then cutting the thread.

"We think there's another reason for him personally wanting to kill you," Bartholomew said. "He loves you. He would never admit it, but he does. There's something about your resistance and beauty that he finds intriguing. He wants to know all he can about you, and he wants you to come to him, of your own free will. We're helplessly romantic creatures sometimes, I'm afraid."

"Jaden, more cloth, quickly!" Angel exclaimed as blood began to seep onto her fingers. "Ohhhh!" She choked, her stomach churning.

Jaden immediately cleaned up the cut more.

Thirteen stitches later, Whisper's cut was sewn up and as clean as it could possibly get. He began to move just as Angel was finishing with the last stitch, and then his eyes opened wide and he sat up, his head slamming into Angel's face.

She groaned and fell back, holding her bruised forehead.

"What happened?" Whisper demanded, hissing between his teeth from the pain.

"You were stabbed by Davin," Dorian said, grabbing Whisper's hand and helping him stand. "Angel sewed you up. She went through quite a bit of trouble. She threw up a total of ten times along the way."

"Thank you," Whisper said, turning to her. "Are you all right? You weren't hurt, were you?"

"No. You saved me, Whisper. All of you did. Thank you so much," Angel said, turning to the men.

"Angel, there is something you need to understand," Adrian said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "You are in grave danger. As soon as you can get away from the city, I suggest you leave. Ghost may have some sort of feelings for you. He may want us to die to end all the wickedness, but one thing you absolutely must remember is that he's the lord over all of us, even Val. He has to look strong and powerful to the others, or he will be considered a mockery. That may even mean hurting you. We can fight off Val and his boys, but Ghost, we can't. He's our leader and he is stronger than the rest of us. You haven't been given much of a chance to see him fight. He is very powerful and very, very alluring when he wants to be."

"Thank you for the warning," Angel said quietly. "I intend to leave the city as soon as the play is finished. Dad wants me out of here."

"And he has every right in the world to want that," Bartholomew nodded. "We're leaving. You be careful."

Angel nodded and then watched the vampires disappear. Jaden got off the floor and walked over to the side door, the cold breeze blowing against him as he did so. He slammed the door shut, letting it immediately lock, and then turned to Angel, rubbing his eyes.

"You know, your dad isn't the only one concerned. I know I haven't been here for you as much as I wish I could be," he said, walking over to her slowly, trying to avoid falling over anything. "And I know I'm blind, so I'm not much help, but I worry about you. You mean the world to me, and if the vampires should shatter that world, I would die."

"Jay, you've always been there for me, and I appreciate you so much," Angel smiled, taking his hand. "Let's get back home before it gets much darker."


	15. Night Scare

**Night Scare**

That was only the beginning of Angel's troubles. She had the next day free of care, but that night, she was to witness the power Adrian had warned her about.

Jaden brought her home that night, as he usually did, and Angel was left to herself once they finished eating dinner. Crystal hadn't arrived at the studio yet, being busy, and so Angel got ready for bed by herself and then left her bathroom, dressed in her favorite silk pajamas. She moved towards her bed area, and her thoughts were happy and faraway…until she saw the shadow moving from the corner of her eye.

Immediately, her hand flew to her necklace, and she drew the diamond out of its place, in the silken fabric of her shirt. She let its light shine into the room, showing her instantly the shadow that was looming there.

"You can't keep hiding behind that light," the British voice spoke, giving away the identity of Valiris.

"You again," Angel frowned, glaring at him. "Such a gentleman as yourself would know better than to approach a woman at such an hour without first asking for an invitation."

Val chuckled and shook his head, pushing back his hood as he did so.

"How much longer do you think you can run? You are far outnumbered, and even if Ghost and his men are striving to protect you, they'll fail."

"What is your story, Val? You are older than Ghost, and yet he has the rule over you."

"I'm not older than Ghost," Val said, shaking his head and watching her with glowing eyes as she eased her way towards her studio door. "And don't try and escape. There's a man waiting for you just outside that door."

"How can I believe that?"

"Open the door and look for yourself, if you wish."

Angel kept her eyes on him as she unlocked her studio door and then opened it.

Val was telling the truth. There, standing with his back to her, was another vampire, large enough to fill up the doorframe with his width. Angel gasped and slammed the door shut, her mind working quickly to try and think of another escape route.

Her studio was laid out in an interesting design. It was composed of two floors. The first floor was her kitchen, living room, dining room, and bedroom area. There was a flight of stairs leading up to the second floor, which consisted only of a bathroom and a walk in closet. Directly on the other side of the bathroom window was the fire escape. Angel's thoughts immediately went there, but she knew it would be impossible for her to reach that. The only way she could possibly escape from Val now was to hold him off long enough for her to get to one of her walls and start banging on it, awakening her neighbors.

"I know you have some marvelous plans going on in your mind, but they're bound to fail, so give up," Val chuckled.

"You…you haven't told me your story yet," Angel stammered, trying to sound brave even though she was terrorized.

"I was born in the 1700s, to a vampire and a human woman," Val said easily. "Shortly after my fortieth birthday, I met and wooed a vampire woman by the name of Alette. Since I was already half vampire, when she bit me, I became full-blooded, but remained looking my age. I then killed her. It was quite simple, really. Ghost is quite a bit older than I am. He'll just never look it. Now, let's make this fast, shall we? I have some others on my list to kill tonight."

"Ghost let you come here?" Angel asked, stepping back as he began to walk towards her.

"I never listen to that pawn. He's a weakling, rescuing you from me before and letting you survive until now," Val snarled, his stalks long and threatening. "One would almost think he's in love with the one who is supposed to destroy us."

"I'm not going to let you kill me," Angel said, backing towards one of the walls purposefully, hoping to disturb her neighbors enough to get help.

"You aren't going to have a choice. Aside from that necklace, you're completely helpless," Val snarled and then lunged at her.

His body slammed full force into her, making her hit the wall hard, sending a shudder through it and making one of her pictures fall off. She gasped in pain as a jolt shot through her back, but she immediately began pounding on the wall with all her strength, using her one free hand while her other hand held the diamond up at Val's face. Her one thought was to keep his mouth away from her neck, to survive just long enough to get help. She started screaming and let out another cry of pain when his hands grabbed her wrists, hard, and slammed them against the wall, pinning them there.

She knew it would be painful, but she immediately picked her legs up off the ground, supporting all of her weight on her wrists, and then kicked with both feet, getting him hard in the lower stomach. He snarled, loosening his hold just enough for her to slip out of his hands and then crawl quickly away from him. She made her way towards the living room table, where a great glass vase was located. He dropped to the floor and grabbed hold of her ankle, intending to drag her back towards him, and she stretched her hand out as far as she could, managing to grab the lip of the vase and pull it towards her. She then turned, so she was leaning back on her elbows, and brought the vase crashing against his head.

He was stunned for a few seconds, giving her time to get to her feet and run towards the staircase. She raced up the stairs towards the bathroom, stumbling over the stairs as she did so. She had heard vampires couldn't fly, but she knew they were fast, and she wanted to beat him up the stairs. She heard him pounding up behind her, and she tripped on the last step. She crawled into the bathroom and then slammed and locked the door behind her. Immediately, she ran over to the window, unlocked it, and flung it open. Snow and a vicious breeze immediately rushed against her, blowing her back slightly.

She didn't take the time to remember she was barefooted and in a silk shirt and pants. She climbed through the window just as her bathroom door caved in. Her feet hit the icy fire escape, making her cry out in pain and cold, but she ignored the pain, knowing she would die if she didn't bear it, and began to run down the fire escape.

This particular escape hadn't been tended to in quite some time. There were several parts of the railing missing, as well as holes in the stairs, and Angel had to slow her pace to maneuver her way down. She was high up from the street, and her hair was wet, making her extremely cold as she ran, the breeze rushing painfully over her skin, blowing right through her clothes. She shivered, making her way down to the third floor, and then let out a scream when Val suddenly dropped down in front of her, his feet hitting the platform hard, making it shake. Angel fell back, and to her horror, realized all too late that there wasn't a railing there. She stepped right off the platform and fell. She screamed and, by some miracle, caught hold of the platform and held on to it for dear life. She glanced down once, to see taxis speeding about under her, oblivious to the woman hanging from the broken platform.

Angel breathed loudly, her breath coming out in smoke, as she tried to pull herself back onto the platform. She was too weak and too shaky, however, and so she hung there, praying with all her might that Val would pull her back onto the platform and then kill her quickly. She'd much rather die that way than by falling to her death and being run over.

The wind seemed wilder than it had in a long time, and ice particles brushed against Angel's skin, hurting her and making her tremble from the cold.

"Oh dear," Val's mock sympathetic voice came as he knelt above her, gazing down at her, his blue and brown eyes sparkling cruelly. "What have we here? And I heard angels were supposed to fly."

"Help me up," Angel breathed, her throat dry and her voice trembling from the cold. "And then you can kill me."

"You won't fight?"

"Please!" she screamed, one of her hands losing its hold on the platform.

He sighed and then grabbed hold of her one hand and began to pull her up. Her arm came out of its socket as he yanked her, and she started crying in pain, her whole body frozen and cut, and her arm listless. He set her on the platform before him and then grabbed her and pulled her close. He moved her hair away from her neck and lowered his nose, taking in a deep breath of her.

She couldn't move. She was frozen into place. Even the tears that came from her closed eyes froze against her cheeks, hurting and sending shivers through her.

"You know, you're such a beautiful creature, I wouldn't mind letting you die slowly," Val breathed, his breath the only warm thing against Angel's body.

"Please, just kill me," she whispered, her lips trembling.

"I did rather like that kiss the other day," he smiled, moving his nose to hers and pulling her tighter to him.

"You've done enough damage. Just kill me," Angel sobbed, lowering her head, trying to get her face away from his.

"Not yet," Val smirked, and moved his mouth to kiss her.

Something suddenly landed, hard, on the platform, making it shake violently and nearly sending Angel over the edge again. She screamed as Val was viciously yanked away from her and slammed into one of the flights of stairs.

"I warned you to stay away from my prey!" Ghost shouted, punching Val hard across the face, making his head snap to the side.

"And your warnings are pathetic!" Val hissed, grabbing Ghost by his open collar and turning violently, intending to throw him off the fire escape.

Never had Angel seen anyone fight so violently. Ghost was apparently in no mood for mercy. He brought his hand to Val's face again, this time scratching him, making a great deal of blood flow down the vampire's face. He then swung to the side and kicked up at Val's chest, hitting him squarely and sending him flying back against one of the railings, shaking the whole fire escape. Angel screamed and fell to the floor of the platform, grabbing hold of all the railing she could as she slid back a bit from the impact.

Val wasn't going to stand for Ghost beating him to a pulp, and so he too began to fight, swinging his fists at Ghost, kicking him hard in the chest and face, and sending him falling back. Ghost stumbled once and nearly fell onto Angel, but he watched his footing and just missed her. He fell over the open railing, making Angel scream again, but he caught the platform as she had. Unlike her, he had the upper body and power to fling himself back up, flipping and then landing on the platform just in time to kick Val in the face.

The fight was brutal. Both vampires hissed angrily at each other, both drew great deals of blood, and Angel was almost positive Ghost broke Val's nose. But they kept fighting, growing angrier by the minute, until teeth flashed. Angel turned her head away as Ghost became a wild animal, a man she had never seen before. His teeth shone in the moonlight, and he flung himself at Val, biting into the man's shoulder. Val hissed and slapped Ghost hard across the face, but after that first taste of blood, Ghost was indestructible.

"If I weren't a parasite like you, I'd kill you, here and now," Ghost breathed, licking the blood slowly off his lips. "But I'm not a parasite."

He kicked back, hitting Val and sending him falling off the platform. Angel looked through the bottom of the platform to see Val hit one of the taxis, landing in a crouching position, making the whole roof of the car cave in. He then climbed off, seemingly unharmed, and limped to the safety of the shadows.

She heard Ghost's boots as he stalked towards her, and then she cried out in pain when he grabbed her by her upper arms and pulled her to her feet. She gasped between her teeth as her dislocated arm screamed in agony. She then let out a shout when Ghost slammed her hard against the studio wall, pushing her harshly against the bricks and pressing his body firmly against her, his face right in hers.

"I can't keep saving you!" he shouted, keeping his hands pressed hard against her arms. "Don't you understand that? I have to kill you! Stop making me rescue you!"

"You don't have to rescue me," she stuttered, her eyes glassing over from the cold. "I didn't ask for your help."

"You were going to let him kill you! You foolish woman!" Ghost said, slapping her across the face, trying desperately to knock some sense into her. Once again, she had come close, far too close, to being killed, and it was starting to scare him how she was just giving up. His breathing was hitched and rushed as he stared hard at the woman in his hold.

She started to cry. Tears streamed down her pale cheeks, and she would have let herself slip to the floor, had he not been forcing her to stand. She choked on her tears, shaking terribly, and she couldn't speak.

"Angel, this is the last time I'm saving you," Ghost snarled, putting his hands hard to her face and the red mark that was forming on her cheek. "I have to kill you, and I will. I may not want to, but for the sake of my authority, I have to."

He felt, suddenly, how terribly cold her face was beneath his hands, and he moved back and looked her up and down. She was dressed in a tank top and pajama pants. Her feet were bare, and her hair was wet, making this cold weather horrendous to her. Scratches lined her skin from the ice flinging against her.

At the moment, she wasn't a murderess or a threat, but a woman. A cold, scared, beautiful woman.

She was cradling herself now, her arms wrapped around her chest and stomach, rocking to try and stay warm. Ghost moved towards her again, and she cringed, her eyes wide with terror. Her hand went to her bruised cheek and then moved again to her wounded arm, supporting it.

Ghost let out a long sigh and then, not giving her a chance to fight if she had wanted to, knelt down, wrapped his left arm around her thighs, and then hoisted her into the air. He put her over his shoulders, in a fireman hoist, and then began to carry her effortlessly up the stairs.

She couldn't fight. She felt as though she had been drugged by the cold. She lay limply atop his back, her long hair draped over his shoulder and brushing against his chest.

He brought her all the way back to her studio and carried her through her bathroom window. He then closed the window with one hand and carried her down the stairs to her living area. He rolled her off his shoulder and placed her on one of her leather couches.

"You're freezing cold," he said, releasing her arm as he finished lowering her. She let out a moan of pain, and he immediately grabbed her arm and examined it. "You've dislocated it."

"Oh, please don't!" she pleaded, grabbing his hand in an attempt to pull it away.

"It'll only take a second," he said, taking hold of her shoulder with one hand and her arm with the other.

She bit her lip nervously and then took a good chomp on it when he popped her arm back into place. She drew blood from her lips, and she tried hurriedly to lick it away. Her face was warming up enough now for the coloring to return to it, and Ghost flinched when he saw the fiery red mark on her cheek. He moved his hand to her face and stroked her flushed skin, silently apologizing for hitting her. His eyes caught sight of the blood on her lip, and he smiled sadly.

"Believe me, Angel, if I could, I would change what I am, but I cannot," he said, putting his fingers to the blood on her lips. He moved his thumb slowly across her lower lip and then brought his finger to his mouth and licked the blood off.

"You…you really want me to destroy you?" Angel said hoarsely, closing her eyes tiredly.

"Yes," he nodded. "I want you to do it before I end up killing you. I can't hold off any longer."

"Then why don't you kill me now?"

"You still haven't come to me," he said, kneeling down next to her and putting his hands to her feet. He began to rub them, hard, getting feeling back into them and warming them up.

"Why is that so important to you?" Angel asked, watching him wearily.

"Because I'm tired of being the hunter who stalks its prey. It's time the prey went to the hunter," he smiled, and then stood up.

She watched him, only half awake, as he walked away from her, to her bed, and pulled off all the blankets. He then brought them over to her and proceeded to tuck her in, wrapping her up carefully.

"Are you getting warmed up?" he asked, lifting her head gently and putting a pillow behind it.

"Ghost…I know…I'll end up coming to you one day. You're…too nice," Angel breathed, drifting into sleep.

"I'll be waiting," he said, and then wrapped his cloak around him and disappeared.


	16. Absolute Beginners

**Absolute Beginners**

Terrorized by the previous night and desperate to go somewhere that she could think and clear her mind, Angel left her studio the next night and took a taxi to the Rockefeller Center. Her mind was a jumbled mess as she took her borrowed ice skates and then stepped out onto the ice skating rink and began to skate. This was one of her stress busters. Skating gave her time to think, pray, and consider.

There was so much to think about. Vampires were out to kill her. That was enough for her to think about for her whole skating time, but she chose to push that fact aside and instead consider the nature of these vampires. Valiris was a cold-hearted killer. She knew that now. He had purposefully put out that "Nocturnal" movie to draw her into his trap and kill her. Thankfully, Ghost had intercepted every time and saved her.

Ghost. He was such a complex character. He wanted her dead, but he didn't. The only reason, it seemed, he wanted to kill her was to keep his respect and pride amongst the other vampires. Yet, he wanted the violence to end. That was clear from the way he kept protecting her. He wanted to die because he and the other vampires were deadly creatures, yet he wanted to live because… Was it possible he was afraid of death? Afraid to be condemned to a fiery fate? Was Angel actually starting to feel pity for him?

No! Never! He was a bloodthirsty vampire, and he was after her now, too! It would only be a matter of time before either he or Val caught up to her and destroyed her! She wouldn't care for a vampire! He and all the others were evil, whether or not they tried to be! That included Dorian, Whisper, and the rest of Ghost's group as well!

"Hey Angel."

Angel squealed and slid to a stop, nearly colliding against Jaden as she did so.

"I…I didn't see you standing there!" she gasped nervously.

"I thought I was the blind one. I was standing right in front of you," he said playfully. "I heard you went skating out here and thought I'd join you. You seemed troubled."

"Oh Jaden, I am!" she said, watching him skate in a circle around her. "How can you skate so well when you're blind?"

"I haven't forgotten how to skate," he grinned. "Although I may need your help keeping me from crashing against someone or something. What has you so troubled?"

"I was attacked last night," Angel said, taking his hand and beginning to skate with her. "By Val, and, in a somewhat warped way, Ghost."

"What happened?" Jaden frowned, moving easily alongside her.

"Val came to my studio and tried to kill me. We ended up on the fire escape, and I fell off one of the platforms. He ended up pulling me back onto the stairs, and then he was going to kill me, but Ghost saved me, again. After he fought Val off, he…he got kind of rough with me and ended up slapping me. I think…I think he was scared," Angel said, a new truth dawning on her. "He's scared for me, Jaden."

"What?" he asked worriedly. "Why would he be scared for you? He wants to kill you."

"I don't think he does. I mean, he has to, if he and the other vampires want to survive, but deep down inside, I think he wants me to live. He's still an enemy, though. All he's waiting for is for me to go to him."

"And you never will," Jaden said firmly. "You're no fool. You go to him, and he'll kill you."

"It's all so complicated," Angel sighed.

"Well, forget about vampires then, for a little bit. I'm here to cheer you up," Jaden said. "Forrest told me you were here and needed something uplifting. So…we're going to dance."

"Dance?" Angel laughed as he grabbed both her hands and spun her.

"Right," he grinned, skating backwards a bit. "Just let me know if I'm going to hit someone."

"What are we dancing to?" Angel asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"My singing. Take my hand," Jaden instructed. "Here we go."

"I've nothing much to offer.

There's nothing much to take.

I'm an absolute beginner.

And I'm absolutely sane.

As long as we're together

The rest can go to hell.

I absolutely love you.

But we're absolute beginners,

With eyes completely open,

But nervous all the same."

He smiled and spun her, making her twirl sharply on the ice, her blades slicing neatly against the ice. He then pulled her close again and began to quicken their pace, sliding effortlessly over the ice, moving her with him. He flung her out and then pulled her back in, pulling her close against him as he began the chorus.

"If our love song

Could fly over mountains

Could laugh at the ocean

Just like the films.

There's no reason

To feel all the hard times,

To lay down the hard lines.

It's absolutely true."

"You sing David Bowie songs?" Angel laughed, watching him spin around her quickly.

He slid to a sharp stop directly in front of her and then put a finger gently to her lips, silencing her.

"Nothing much could happen.

Nothing we can't shake.

Oh we're absolute beginners

With nothing much at stake.

As long as you're still smiling,

There's nothing more I need.

I absolutely love you.

But we're absolute beginners.

But if my love is your love

We're certain to succeed."

He began to dance with her again, singing breathlessly as they spun about, as he let her slide away and then pulled her back close. He picked her up once and twirled her in his arms before placing her back down on the ice and gliding backwards with her, both of them moving in perfect harmony. His voice softened, becoming deeper, more personal, as he sang the last lines.

"If our love song

Could fly over mountains

Sail over heartaches

Just like the films.

There's no reason

To feel all the hard times

To lay down the hard lines

It's absolutely true…"*

He spun her a few more times, picked her up and twirled her, and then stopped and let his nose rest against hers.

"We're absolute beginners. Nothing much could happen. Nothing we can't shake."

His breath coursed over her lips, and she closed her eyes, savoring this moment of peace, of joy, and of security. She never felt safer than when she was with Jaden. Blind or not, he could protect her better than anyone else, and he could soothe her to no end. Vampires didn't exist when she was with him. There were no more troubles, no more problems.

"Jaden," she whispered, letting her eyes stay closed as he wrapped her in a hug. "Why do you care so much about me?"

"You're my best friend. What else would you have me do?" he smiled.

"But why? Why am I so important to you? I cause more grief for you than anything else."

"You never cause me grief," he said, tightening his hold on her. "Remember what I told you I wanted from you? I wanted your first kiss. Why? Why would I want that from you?"

"I…I'm not sure," Angel said, looking up into his face.

"Because I love you," he whispered, resting one of his hands on her hair. "I love you for all that you are. A light in the darkness, a light in my heart. You can guide me with your joy and kindness, even if I can't see. I'm not blind when I'm with you. I want you to trust me the way you do. There is no greater joy for me than to have you trust me. I want more for us," he said, resting his cheek against hers. "I want to spend every day together, every moment." He took her hands in his and laced his fingers through hers. "I want you to be so much more than just my best friend."

"More?" Angel asked, gazing into his perfect hazel eyes.

"Now isn't the time," he smiled sadly, shaking his head, a strand of blonde hair falling onto his forehead. "But Angel, when I say I love you, I truly mean it."

"I know," she said quietly, gazing down at their intertwined fingers. "I…I love you too."

Jaden left a short while later to get to work, allowing Angel to skate alone with her thoughts. There was no doubt in her mind, as she skated, that she loved Jaden. She always had, and she knew there would come a time when she would have to make the choice to stay with him for the rest of their lives, or to part from him. He was blind, yes, but he continued living his life as though he wasn't, and he knew this city well enough for him to continue in that way peacefully. She always felt so safe with him, and she longed to be with him more than anything else.

But once again, the vampires were in her way. If she were joined to Jaden in marriage, the vampires would threaten him as well as her, possibly killing him to get to their true prey. That was a truth she couldn't bear. Oh, if only the vampires would just leave her alone! Ghost and his men hadn't attacked her yet, but they would soon, and then she would be far outnumbered! She may as well just hand herself to them now, the heartless beings!

Laughter interrupted Angel's thoughts, and she shook herself and turned her head to see a charming couple skating together, completely oblivious to everyone around them. The girl was tall and thin, with long curly blonde hair and large, brown eyes. She was laughing gaily as the boy, with a short ponytail and pale skin, twirled her in his arms. He turned slightly, and Angel gasped and nearly fell back when she saw his face.

He was Dorian. His eyes weren't half as dark as they normally were, and she accurately guessed that he had some type of makeup on, and his hair wasn't loose and down to his shoulders, but it was him. She'd know his smug smile and his trim beard anywhere.

He was skating with a girl! He'd end up killing her! She had to do something!

But Angel couldn't move. She could only watch as Dorian and the woman skated. She watched, confused, as Dorian leaned forward and kissed the girl gently, lovingly, on the cheek, in no way being intimidating or frightening. The girl smiled against his touch and held him close, letting her head rest on his chest as they skated slowly, oblivious to the world.

Angel watched carefully, expecting Dorian to expose his true self at any moment and kill the girl, but he never did. He simply held her and spoke to her quietly, truly enjoying the presence of this lovely woman.

It didn't make any sense! Vampires were vicious, cold creatures! And with Ghost trying to save his reputation, he would have forbidden any of his men to intermingle in such a fashion with a female human! But here Dorian was, one of his most loyal followers, enjoying a simple night out with his girl.

A sudden new realization swept over Angel then, and she skated over to the side of the rink and sat down on a bench, her hands clasped before her. Ghost and his men were trying. They were trying so hard not to kill, so terribly hard to fit in with a world that hated them. They weren't as callous as she had first supposed them to be. They were creatures that, just like humans, wanted love, but every time they tried to get it, they killed the one of their desiring. Dorian had trained himself so well, that he could be near this woman without hurting her. Ghost had come to control himself so well around Angel, that even when her blood was infiltrating his senses, he could restrain himself from giving her the bite that would end her life. Somehow, Ghost and his men were trying to fight what they were, and they were winning.

"But I don't understand. It's impossible," she whispered, gazing up at the starry night sky. "Lord, how are they doing it?"

A sudden silence caused her to turn her head back to the ice. Dorian and the woman were the only ones on the ice, but there, standing on the side, not too far from them, was a dark silhouette of a man in a black cloak.

Angel grabbed hold of the bench and stood up, watching, worried, as the figure moved towards Dorian. She couldn't hear any words, but she let out a gasp of terror when the figure suddenly lunged at Dorian with a snarl. Her gasp turned into a scream as the woman jumped in front of Dorian and the enemy vampire's teeth sank into her neck.

Every other sound became a blur to Angel after that. She felt her feet moving slowly beneath her as she skated towards Dorian and saw him shouting at the vampire, though no words would come out. The woman fell to the ice with a thud; scarlet streaming from her neck, and her attacker turned and disappeared, leaving Angel, Dorian, and the woman as the only people on the ice.

"Linda!" Dorian shouted, dropping down next to the fallen girl, cradling her head in his hands.

"What happened?" Angel panicked, falling painfully onto her knees next to him.

"He tried to bite me and she got in front of me. Oh, my Linda, why did you have to go and do that?" Dorian choked, gazing down into her wide eyes.

"This…this is amazing," Linda said, in a daze. "I feel so nice."

"Not again!" Angel screamed, hearing Rachel's voice playing in her mind again.

_"But it felt so good."_

"Screaming isn't going to help," Dorian said coolly. "Linda, lie still now."

"I feel so warm. I want to be closer to you, Dorian," Linda spoke, her eyes shining unnaturally.

"I'll get closer," Dorian said and then lowered his mouth to her bite.

Whisper had tried to save Rachel by doing the exact same thing Dorian was doing, but he had been too weak. Dorian did everything he could to draw the venom out of Linda's body, but his enemy had cut her too deeply, and he couldn't get the venom out. The bite incisions were already closing up when he put his mouth to her neck, and he could barely get any blood through.

"Can you save her?" Angel panicked, wringing her hands worriedly.

"I'm…not getting it out!" Dorian exclaimed, turning his face to gaze up at her, blood at the corner of his lips. "Angel, I can't save her! Help me!"

"I can't do anything!" Angel cried. "Ghost!" she screamed, standing up and letting her voice echo into the night air. "Ghost! Help! I need you!"

"If you think I'm just going to appear every time you call my name, you're gravely mistaken," Ghost's cool voice came from behind her.

"Ghost!" she exclaimed happily, and he stepped back noticeably.

"Are you…happy to see me? Where has your brain gone?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"Ghost, Linda was bitten by one of Val's people. He was trying to get me," Dorian said, gazing up at his leader with bloodshot eyes. "Please, help. I can't get the venom out of her."

"What's this? You, associating with a human girl?" Ghost growled.

"Now's not the time for acting, Ghost! Help!" Dorian shouted angrily.

Ghost lowered himself to his knees and then pulled Linda's hair aside, looking at the cut.

"It's closed up already."

"You have to do something!" Angel pleaded. "Please, I couldn't bear to see another girl die!"

"I'll bet you couldn't," Ghost said and then moved his mouth to the bite. "Dorian," he murmured, getting a whiff of the blood. "Take her wrists in one of your hands and cover her mouth with the other. She's going to scream."

"Why?" Angel asked, watching Dorian do as he was told.

"Because I'm going to reopen the cut, and it's going to put her into shock," Ghost said. "You have her, Dorian?"

"Yes," he choked, putting his hand hard against Linda's mouth.

"Here we go," Ghost said, taking in a deep breath. He lowered his head slightly and then brought it down hard, letting his fangs seep into the closed incisions.

Linda screamed, her voice slipping through Dorian's fingers and cutting Angel to the core. But then she went limp, and Ghost began to draw the venom out of her.

It took over five minutes, but then Ghost fell back onto his elbows and drew in a long breath, licking blood away from his mouth.

"She should be good," he breathed. "Take her somewhere safe. And Dorian, once you're satisfied that she's okay, meet up with the others and me. Val is after all of us now. We have some decisions to make."

Dorian nodded and pulled Linda into his arms. He then carried her off the ice and made his way into the darkness.

"What are you still standing there for?" Ghost growled, gazing up at Angel, who was still staring at the place where Linda had just been.

"You just saved a woman. You didn't kill her, even after getting a good taste of her blood," Angel whispered, stunned.

"There's no pleasure in killing someone unconscious," Ghost snapped, getting to his feet. "I suggest you get out of here. Val will have sent more men this way."

"Wait, before you go," Angel said quietly, putting her hand gently on his arm.

He gazed down at her small hand and then looked at her face.

"What is it you want, Angel?"

"Thank you," she whispered, bowing her head. "I thought I was going to see another girl die. You saved her."

"I wouldn't be thanking me, if I were you," Ghost said. "You need to stop with this…nonsense."

"Before you go, there's something I want you to have," Angel said, taking his hand and bringing it to her throat.

"What are you doing?" he hissed.

"I want you to keep this for me," she said, placing his hand over her necklace chain and then closing his gloved fingers around it. "I don't know that it will help anything, but maybe it will smooth things over with you and Val, and it might just save my life."

She pulled his hand away, making the chain break and the necklace fall into his hand.

Ghost held the necklace up so he could see the diamond, glowing eerily in the darkness, its light reflecting off Angel's face. The light died seconds later, but there was a faint light coming from Angel's face. It wasn't nearly as radiant as it had been with the necklace, but the light was definitely coming from her and nothing else.

"You are a great mystery, Angel," Ghost said, closing his hand over the diamond, hiding it from her view. "Every time I'm just about to kill you, you manage to save yourself."

"It was just a necklace," Angel said, gazing down at the ice, trying not to think about how it had been her mother's.

"No, the light is inside of you," Ghost said, putting his hand on her chin and tilting her face up to look at him. "This won't save you from Val, but it may save you from me."

"Then I am satisfied."

"But I'm not," he growled, and then turned violently away from her. "You don't have much time left, and you don't have my protection, Angel. Val is after all of us now. There's no stopping him until you're dead. You still have the power to destroy us, with or without the necklace."

"But I don't know how!" Angel called, watching him walk away.

"Look deep down, and you'll find the answer," Ghost hissed and then disappeared.

* "Absolute Beginners" – David Bowie


	17. Fatal Hunt

Fatal Hunt

Angel lasted two more weeks; arriving two days before Christmas, at the last play performance. For some reason, Val hadn't tried to attack her since the attempt at her studio, and she could only conclude that it was because she no longer had her necklace. Truth be told, he and his men were doing their utmost best to kill off Ghost's men. They wouldn't dare go after Ghost, for he was indeed powerful, but if they could take down his followers, then they would eventually weaken his forces and be able to kill him.

Jaden and Crystal never left Angel's side since the attack at the ice skating rink. Jaden was with Angel all day, and Crystal stayed with her all night.

Angel finished getting changed into her normal clothes, pleased that the plays were now over, even though she had enjoyed them. She was looking forward to moving out of the city and back with her father, who had found a new home in upstate New York that he couldn't wait to show her. She left her dressing room, glad to leave some rather rotten memories behind her, and then smiled when she saw Jaden waiting for her in the hall.

"There you are," he said, hearing her walk towards him. "You ready to leave?"

"I am," she nodded.

"I want to take you to get some coffee. Tonight's a night worth celebrating," Jaden said, taking her hand in his and leading her out of the theater and into the snow.

"That sounds great," Angel said, walking alongside him, gazing up at all the Christmas lights. "It's so beautiful tonight, Jay. I wish you could see everything."

"Oh, I know it's beautiful," he said gently. "But I'm not referring to the Christmas lights. Tell me what they look like tonight, Angel."

Angel blushed and then spoke, her voice cheerful and sure.

"There are lights gracing every tree here, of all different colors. The buildings have lights hanging from them, and even the skyscrapers are dressed up like Christmas trees and are decked with lights."

"I only want to see that light reflecting off your face," Jaden sighed, leading her into the Starbucks. "I miss your face, Angel."

"It's the same as last time you saw it."

"But that was so long ago."

He ordered their drinks and then led her back outside to a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. They sat down on a bench near it and then drank their coffee in silence for a short time.

"So," Jaden finally spoke, swirling the coffee in his cup. "You're leaving right after New Year's?"

"Yes," Angel nodded. "And you're going back home too, aren't you?"

"I was thinking about it," Jaden sighed. "But then I got to thinking that I'd be much more comfortable here in New York, being blind. I know everything better here. And I don't want to burden my parents with a blind son."

"You wouldn't be a burden," Angel said. "You've been blind for awhile now, and you certainly aren't a burden to me."

"It does me good to hear you say that."

"The only reason I don't want to leave the city is because of you," Angel said quietly, putting her hand in his. "I'm going to miss you, but I'll call you every day. And I'll come visit as much as I can."

"I want so much more than that," he said, rubbing her fingers with his own and then slipping off the bench and kneeling in front of her. "Angel," he said softly, taking her other hand in his empty one and rubbing it gently. "Angel, I want so much for us to become more. I want to spend more than just every day with you. I can spend the whole day with you, but then at night we must go our separate ways. Angel, I love you. I want to protect you with my whole being. And I know I'm blind, but somehow I'd be able to care for you. I have enough income to care for us both, and I'm planning on doing more with acting, getting some more finances squared away. None of that matters as much as how I feel about you, though. I would die for you, gladly, without a second thought. I want to love you, to truly be allowed to care for you and hold you. I want to be near you when you need me the most, to comfort you when you need comforting and to rejoice with you when something wonderful has happened. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Angel, I love you so, so much. Would you do me the immense honor of becoming my wife?"

Tears were streaming down Angel's cheeks as she gazed at the handsome man kneeling before her. Her heart was bursting with joy and love as she studied his face, his perfect, flawless face with the deep hazel eyes and the gorgeous smile. She glanced at his hair, blonde and swept professionally to the side, and then to his arms, so strong and so willing to hold her. Oh, how she wanted to be held by him!

"Yes," she spoke, her voice quivering. "Yes, Jaden. I love you. I want to marry you and spend the rest of my life with you."

He stood up then, towering above her, and she stood up to meet him. He then wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tightly, overwhelmed with pleasure and honor. She smiled and looked up into his face, admiring everything about him as she put her arms around his neck. He rubbed his nose gently against hers, finding such pleasure in just being close to her.

"I love you so much," he whispered, kissing her cheek and then boldly pressing his lips to the corner of her mouth.

"I promised you once you could have something of mine," Angel said, resting her forehead against his. "I confess, someone took it by force, but I never gave it away."

"And what would that be?" Jaden asked, closing his eyes and smiling as he rubbed her back.

"A kiss," she whispered and then moved to press her lips against his.

Before she could touch him, a sudden cold breeze washed over both of them, and both turned their heads to acknowledge the presence of Valiris, leaning against one of the trees, arms folded across his chest. He wasn't in the usual cloak, but instead wore a black silk shirt, the collar standing upright, and black pants and boots. His pale skin was nearly ashen in contrast to the black outfit, and his blonde hair was slicked back, some of it pulled into a ponytail at the nape of his neck.

"Angel, I thought, with the way you and Ghost interact, that you had eyes for no one but him," he chuckled, pushing himself off the tree and moving towards her.

"Back off already," Jaden said, holding Angel close, frowning in Val's direction.

"Am I supposed to be intimidated by a blind boy?" Val asked mockingly. "If so, your plan isn't working."

"Leave Jaden out of this," Angel said, trying to pull out of Jaden's hold and not succeeding. "Jaden, let me go," she whispered. "This is between him and myself. I don't want you hurt."

"My job is to protect you," Jaden scowled, tightening his hold. "I may not be able to see him, but I'm not letting him near you."

"Aw, how sweet," Val chuckled, moving towards them. "Angel, tell your friend how many men you see around you."

Angel turned her head violently, noticing immediately that they were fully surrounded.

"Listen. Ghost has my necklace," she began to plead. "He has my light. I can't destroy you now."

"No, Ghost doesn't have it," Val smiled, opening his hand and letting her see her necklace hanging there. "And the destruction was supposed to come from you, not the necklace. There's nowhere to run this time."

"How did you get that?" Angel asked, gazing at her glowing diamond.

"Ghost gave it to me," he said smugly, letting the diamond dance against his fingertips.

"He wouldn't," Jaden frowned. "He didn't sound like that kind of scumbag."

"How else would I have gotten it?"

"You hurt him somehow," Angel said, clinging to Jaden's shirt as the vampires began to close in. "Jay," she whispered against his ear. "I need you to let me go. Please. I know you want to protect me, but there's nothing more you can do this time."

"What are you going to do?" he whispered back, listening as the vampires approached.

"Run. It's all I can do."

"You can't outrun vampires," he murmured, turning his head in one direction and then another, picking up the sounds of the enemies.

"No, but I can't fight them either."

"I'll distract them. Get somewhere safe, as fast as you can," Jaden said, kissing her forehead quickly and then turning towards Val. Without another word, the blind man lunged at the vampire, catching him entirely off-guard and sending his men into a frenzy.

Angel immediately began to run, praying with all her might that Jaden would stay safe. She glanced back to see three of the vampires already moving after her, and thinking fast, she ran towards the crowded New York streets.

Taxis were speeding about, and, taking a deep breath, Angel jumped into the crowded street.

Horns blared at her from all directions as she weaved in and out of traffic to the best of her ability. Her one thought was to get somewhere that the vampires couldn't reach her, and she was far more intimidated by the nocturnal creatures than by the cars. She ducked low, disappearing from the vampires' sight, and nearly screamed when another taxi almost plunged right into her, swerving into another lane at the last moment.

A black car pulled up alongside her, seemingly from out of the blue, and she heard a door open quickly. She tried to scream, but a hand was thrust viciously over her mouth, and she was picked up and pulled into the car.

"What are you doing?" she screamed, trying to get back out of the car, but her captors were too fast. Before she could move, her door was slammed shut and a seatbelt was fastened securely around her waist and across her chest.

"You don't seem so happy to see us," Drake smiled, turning his head so she could see him better.

"You guys?" Angel gasped, looking out the window to see Val's men climbing atop the tops of the speeding cars.

"We couldn't just let them kill you," Baron shrugged from the back.

"Head down, please," Adrian said, putting a hand on her head and pushing her down.

"What about Jaden?" Angel asked, crouching low and then letting out a yelp as the car's tires suddenly squealed and it nearly shot out from under her.

"We're in for a very fast ride," Drake said, artfully maneuvering the vehicle. "I don't suggest you look out the front. Instead, stay there and look up for me, will you? Our friends are going to be attacking us from above, not the side."

"How? I thought you couldn't fly?" Angel asked, cowering in her seat.

"We can't, but we can certainly drop," Bartholomew said from Adrian's side.

"And your friend will be safe. Dorian and Christopher are taking care of him," Adrian added.

"But…won't Ghost stop them?"

"There's something you need to understand about Ghost," Drake said, turning the steering wheel violently, making Angel's head hit the window.

"Ooh," she groaned, her hands moving to her head.

"Sorry. We're in a hurry. Drake, one of them is moving alongside the wall over there," Baron pointed out.

"I saw him already," Drake nodded.

"What do I need to know about Ghost?" Angel asked, peeking out the window to see that a vampire was, indeed, climbing along the buildings beside the fast-moving car.

"Really, in the long run, he wants us dead," Adrian said, grabbing hold of one of the seats as the car swerved again.

"How can I believe that? He gave my necklace to Valiris," Angel frowned and then screamed when something suddenly slammed onto the roof of the car.

"He gave it to Val in the hopes that it would satiate his threats against you," Baron said, unstrapping his seatbelt. "Drake, I'm out of here."

"Where are you going?" Angel panicked as the window next to her slid down.

"Someone's got to get him off," Adrian shrugged and then watched Baron climb out of the car, making his way onto the roof.

Angel gasped as she heard pounding coming from the roof. Had she been able to see what was happening, she would have seen Baron pinning a rival vampire hard to the roof of the car, slamming his knee into the man's stomach.

"Try and think of things from Ghost's perspective," Drake said, driving the car into an empty parking lot and making it spin in place.

Angel wanted to cover her ears as she heard someone sliding off the back of the car and then heard the car slam against something.

"Got rid of him," Adrian said triumphantly, gazing through the back window.

"Ghost likes you, so he doesn't want you dead. You have spirit. On the other hand, if he lets you live, you'll figure out how to kill us," Drake said easily, flooring the gas pedal, making the car whip out of the parking lot and back onto a crowded street.

"You're going to get us all killed!" Angel cried, watching him weave in between rushing taxis, like they were on a cruise.

"Mm… Only you would die. We can't be killed that easily," Adrian chuckled.

"As I said," Drake continued, slamming on the brakes.

Luckily for Angel, Baron grabbed her head and held it still as the car slammed, keeping her from getting a nasty whiplash.

"Ghost likes you, and he hates that we kill people, but he's terrorized of our fated eternity. We all are."

"But can't you change that?" Angel asked, her stomach churning as the car took another sharp turn.

"No, I don't think so. We're murderers. How would we make it to heaven?" Drake asked. "So you see, the only reason he doesn't want us destroyed is because we have such a horrid fate. If it weren't for that, he would have told you how to kill us already. He knows the answer."

"You can't destroy us without some sort of sacrifice from him," Bartholomew nodded. "He's the only one who knows what it is, though."

Suddenly, before anyone quite knew what happened, the car slammed to a stop, moving from over ninety-miles-per-hour to a dead stop. Air bags immediately appeared, slamming Angel and Drake hard in the face as they exploded. Angel's seatbelts whipped hard across her body, snapping into place, leaving welts she knew were going to hurt like fire. She didn't think about that for the moment, though. Her mind and body were too much in shock for her to think.

"Angel!" Adrian shouted, grabbing hold of her as Drake hit both airbags hard, popping them. "Angel, are you all right?"

Her door was forced open, and Angel looked up, almost blindly, to see one of Val's men standing there, smirking at her. There was a dagger in his hand, and she came back to earth fast enough to scream when he brought the blade hard against her seatbelts, ripping the material and the bottom of her shirt. She was hoisted over the man's shoulder, and she began to fight, beating at him with her fists and kicking him hard in the legs.

She managed somehow to slip out of his hold, and she started running again, her head throbbing and her legs sluggish. She never looked back to see Ghost's men fighting Val's vampires with all their worth. She never saw that the front of the Firebird was smashed, looking as though it had just hit a train. She didn't see that she was racing straight into an alley.

One minute later, she stopped abruptly, seeing Val leaning against the alley wall in front of her, his eyes watching her with amusement.

"Ghost's men are outnumbered and bested when it comes to fighting. Drake's driving leaves much to be desired," he smiled, stalking towards her.

She backed up, only to slam into two of his men. She cried out, not even bothering to look behind her. There was no way out. She knew that without having to research it.

"There's more to you than meets the eye," Val said, watching her as she gazed up at the sky, hoping, praying, that someone would jump down from one of the roofs and rescue her.

"You always monologue?" she asked, bringing her eyes down to meet his.

"Do you always run? You never seem to face danger. You always flee from it," Val smirked, stopping only a few inches in front of her and folding his arms across his chest. "I think," he said, leaning his upper body forward so his face was right in hers, "you're terrified."

"Of course I am," Angel frowned, stalling. If only she could hold him off a few more minutes…surely someone would save her!

"No one's coming. I had Ghost's word that he wouldn't interfere with this," Val said. "So if you're looking for him, forget it. He's tired of this chase, just as I am. Not another word," he said, putting a finger to her parted lips. "Your time is up."

"Not even one last request?" Angel asked bravely, and then let out a cry when he grabbed her forearms roughly and lowered his mouth to her neck.

He didn't bite her right away, even though she would have been much happier if he did that and just got it over with. He knew the purity within her that Ghost saw, and he wanted to taint it before she died. The kiss he had forced on her before, he knew, had devastated her. Why not just make her entirely miserable before he killed her? Give her something to remember him by?

He kissed her neck, letting her squirm uncomfortably in his hold, spending his time, in no particular hurry to get this over with. He seemed to have every confidence that Ghost wouldn't interfere, which scared Angel all the more. What did they do to him? Surely he wouldn't just sit out of this and let them kill her!

"Would you just kill me?" Angel pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks as he moved his mouth to her ear and then her shoulder.

"This is so much more satisfying," he growled against her skin. "Besides, don't you want some pleasure before you die?"

"Not from you!" she gasped as he raised his face, letting his eyes pierce into hers.

"I'm sorry, but Ghost can't help you," he smirked and then moved his mouth towards hers.

"Not again!" she cried, and then snapped her shoulder out of his hold and slapped him hard across the face.

His face snapped to the side with the impact, and Angel's hand began to burn, but she didn't care. He wouldn't dare harm her like that again! How dare he mock her innocence and everything she considered precious!

She flung herself at him, to his men's surprise, and let her nails rip down his face before she kicked up, high enough to catch him in the throat and force him back.

"Get back!" Val shouted to his men as they rushed to interfere. "She's mine! I was merciful before, Angel, but you force me to put all mercy aside," he snarled and then grabbed her by her neck and shoved her against one of the walls, knocking the air out of her. He then dipped his face, faster than she could think, and pressed his mouth solidly to her neck.

She knew her life was over. She had provoked a vampire, and she would pay.

He opened his mouth, letting his hot breath burn against her skin, and then pressed his fangs against her throat. He let his left hand move to her hair, clutching it tightly, and then smiled against her throat.

"Sweet dreams," he spoke, and then he let his teeth sink in.

She screamed at the burst of pain that ripped through her body, but was shocked when, a second later, the pain dissolved into a burning heat that coursed through her veins and made her slip to the floor. It was like…stepping into a hot shower and being surrounded by steam. There was such a blissful, carefree type feeling to it…

Val smiled, seeing a familiar dreamy film come over the girl's eyes, and moved so that his body was pressed firmly against hers, one arm on either side of her, trapping her, his face just inches away from hers. He pressed her diamond into her hand, mocking her one last time before he kissed her forehead and then moved his mouth against her neck, drawing in the blood that was flowing from her skin.

She felt like she was in a dream. Suddenly, she wanted to be closer to him, held tightly against him, warm in his embrace, even though he was deadly and wicked. She wanted to feel his mouth on hers, his fingers against her face. She let her hands slide up his neck, tracing his skin, and then move to his hair. She gasped and combed her fingers through his hair as he deepened his mouth on her throat, drawing in as much of her sweet blood as he could.

Something burned her hand as he braced himself, one arm on either side of her, growling in the back of his throat as he drank her life away. It was the diamond, burning viciously into her hand, sending pain shooting through her. Her mind cleared enough for her to realize that this was exactly what had happened to every other woman bitten by a vampire in the past. They had succumbed to those warm, romantic feelings, and had died for it. But she was different. She had the power to stop these creatures for good. Surely she had the power to fight these overwhelming feelings within her. She had the strength to hold on just a little bit longer.

"Get…off me…" She breathed between clenched teeth, that feeling of pleasure turning into a violent pain.

She started trembling with fever, the venom affecting her entirely differently than it had affected anyone else, for she was fighting it with all her worth.

"If I'm going to die, I want to die without your bloodthirsty body close to mine."

She began to moan in pain, tears coursing down her cheeks as her blood boiled with fever and her skin paled amazingly.

"Angel, just give up," Val said, sitting up and pressing his forehead against hers. "Give in. It'll make this so much easier for you."

"I refuse…to give up…to a rat…like you!" Angel sobbed, trying to push him away, but her arms wouldn't move. Her whole body was going numb, and there was nothing she could do about it.

"You're just going to die," he scowled, moving his mouth to the corner of her lips.

As his lips touched her skin, she felt wetness there, the wetness of her blood. He put his hand to the skin just below her neck and stroked it gently, trying to stir up those fiery emotions within her again, but she refused to go there. She knew, if she even yielded the slightest bit, she would give in entirely.

"Get off me!" she screamed as her body convulsed, and she slipped down further to the ground.

"I was told to waste not," Val snapped, pulling away from her. "But you're entirely worthless to me. I got what I want. Let's go," he said, gesturing to his men.

They left, and Angel was left to die alone, in the snow, her blood turning the pure whiteness into crimson. She could smell the blood seeping from her neck. It infiltrated her nostrils and made her sick, but the venom had frozen her stomach, making her unable to throw up. Her eyes glazed over, and she writhed slightly, pulling herself into a ball, tears coursing down her frozen cheeks.

Wind whistled about her, sending more chills through her icy body, mournfully wailing as her necklace glowed faintly inside her clenched hand.

"Oh God, I don't want to die," she whispered, closing her eyes, feeling her heart beginning to slow. "Oh please, Lord. Don't let me die, at least not alone."

Snow swirled about her, and her dulled ears didn't hear the sound of a footstep in the snow. She sucked in a pained breath as a gloved hand stroked the side of her face.

"Angel," a voice called into her drifting consciousness. "Angel!"

"Leave me alone, you traitor!" she groaned, opening her eyes halfway to see Ghost crouched down next to her. "Don't touch me! You're as bad as Valiris was! I want Jaden! Oh Lord, I want Jaden!"

"I'm not giving you a choice, and I don't care what you call me," Ghost growled, gathering her into his arms and lifting her up.

Blood seeped onto his chest and overwhelmed his senses, but he pushed all his own desires aside and then used one hand to wrap his cloak around himself and Angel.

Seconds later, he and Angel arrived in her studio.

She began screaming in pain as he placed her down on the tile floor of her kitchen, letting the blood seep onto that instead of the carpet.

"Angel, I'm going to try and save you," Ghost said, opening the top button of her shirt and pulling the top of the fabric away so he could get a better look at her neck. The blood was covering it so much now that he could barely see where she was bit. "Listen to me! Keep fighting! Don't let yourself go unconscious! Not yet! You still have a chance! I'm going to have to bite you, and I need you to find something to distract yourself with, to help draw away some of the pain. Do you hear me?" He shook her hard, making her teeth chatter together and her eyes flutter open drowsily. "Find something to distract yourself!"

She could barely hear him in her delirium, but she moved her quaking hands to his hood and pushed it back.

"Save me," she whispered, her voice barely audible as she wove her fingers through his hair. "Please save me."

"Now is the time to give in to those feelings you were withholding from Val. I won't hurt you, but I need you to let go of your resistance. It will save you from shock," Ghost said. "Those wonderful feelings that floated through you are what protect you from being in agony. I won't take advantage of you. I promise that. Only please, for your sake, let go."

"Strange how this requires me to submit to you," she moaned in between her teeth.

Her body suddenly relaxed, and her eyes clouded over with release. Those warm, fuzzy feelings flowed through her again, pushing away a great deal of the pain. She gazed up at Ghost and then moved her hands to the back of his shoulders, drawing him closer to her, pulling him against her as the heat flowed violently through her veins. He braced himself, fighting his own urges when he saw her breathing quicken and felt her breath moving against his face. Any other time, he could take what he wanted, but not now, not when she was like this and he had promised her safety.

She moved one of her hands to his hair, brushing her fingers through the golden strands, and then gazed into his eyes, waiting, pleading for him to get this over with, for she didn't want to be so weak, so vulnerable.

He put his hand to the one she had in his hair and then put his other arm to one of her sides and lowered his mouth to her neck. He bit her hard, reopening Val's bite and making her choke on her scream and convulse again. She grabbed hold of his hair, crying and trembling, as he began to draw out the venom.

She tried to keep letting her feelings consume her, but she knew it was wrong, and she decided she would rather suffer the pain than do something she would regret later.

Ghost was greatly concerned as he worked. He didn't know how great her blood loss was. He wouldn't bring her into a hospital, he decided, but he would watch her carefully. He could stop the bleeding and get some fluids into her, and that would most likely be all the help she needed.

He kept moving his mouth against her, drinking of her, in all senses of the word. She had the sweetest taste to him, and he couldn't help but deepen his mouth against her, feeling her skin and relishing her touch.

Her eyes fluttered closed as he continued drawing out the venom, and when he leaned up on his elbows, he saw that she was asleep. She wasn't in the feverish, stricken sleep of one dying, but was instead in a peaceful slumber, her breathing natural and a gentle expression on her face.

Tenderly, he pushed a few strands of damp brunette hair out of her face and then kissed her forehead.

"You'll be safe for now," he whispered, and then lay down next to her.

The whole process of saving her life was extremely tiresome for him, so much so, that even if he had wanted to leave now, he would barely have had the strength to do it. He was exhausted, and he needed sleep just as much as she did. He wrapped his left arm carefully around her stomach and then let himself drift into sleep.


	18. Revelation

**So who saw this coming? :)**

**Revelation**

Angel slowly awoke from her sleep, squinting against the sunlight that was streaming across her face. She noticed immediately that she was lying on something hard and somewhat cold, and she glanced to her right to see that she was lying on her kitchen floor. Her eyebrows narrowed with confusion, and she sat up slowly, her body aching as she did so. She glanced down to see scarlet on the tile, and the memories of what had happened last night hit her hard. She gasped and glanced down at her shirt, noticing, first off, that her top button was undone, revealing a little more skin than she would have liked. And then she saw the blood that had soaked her shirt. It was frightening, but she knew that she was alive, and that was such a blessing.

She looked to the left to see a figure stretched out across her floor, right next to her, no doubt having kept her somewhat warm through the night.

Ghost. Ghost was still here; his back turned towards her, his cape draped off his shoulders, as though he had been using it for a blanket. A stray sunbeam shone across his hair, showing how brilliantly gold it was with marvelous, fiery red strands. His hair was tousled and wild, looking windswept, and Angel remembered that she had feverishly run her fingers through his hair.

Slowly, Angel stood up and was then seized by an immense curiosity.

Who was he? She had never really seen his face, only his remarkable crimson eyes. But who was the man behind the cloak? Who was this lord of the vampires that was so violent, and yet could never seem to stop saving her?

She moved to his front and studied his features carefully. He was the most gorgeous creature she had ever seen. A loose strand of blonde was resting across his forehead, draped over one eye. He wore black pants and an open black pirate shirt, his black and ruby medallion shining against his pale skin. He was extremely muscular, that much was very obvious, and he had the cruelest lips, and the finest nose, and…

Angel's heart nearly stopped beating. She stumbled back and would have fallen had it not been for the counter behind her.

Ghost was Jaden. She tried to convince herself otherwise, but the blood at his lips showed that he was indeed Ghost, while he had the face of the man she loved. True, he was paler now, and his hair was wild, and he had a dark, romantic look to him, but it was Jaden.

He moved suddenly, beginning to wake up, and groaned as he sat up. He blinked a couple of times and then looked to see her staring at him, mouth open and eyes wide.

"Well, aren't you looking healthy and alive this morning?" he asked, standing up, folding his arms across his chest as he towered above her. He licked his lips, drawing in the last of her blood that was there.

"This whole time…" she whispered. "I was in love with a vampire."

He raised an eyebrow and then shrugged, taking all of this in a cool stride.

"No. You were in love with a blind boy," he answered, his voice deep and alluring, as Ghost's always was.

"But you weren't really blind," she struggled to speak, sitting on one of the counters, her eyes still wide.

"Of course I was," he smiled, his fangs showing perfectly. "As Jaden, which, by the way, is my real name, I was with you all the time and your light. It blinded me during the day. I couldn't see. And the blood loss problem I had should be quite understandable to you now."

"You…you haven't been drinking blood?" Angel stuttered.

"The best meal I've had in three years was the one I had last night," he said, moving towards her and putting his hands on either side of her, trapping her. "And I wouldn't mind a little bit more," he smiled wickedly, moving his face towards hers.

"That whole time…Jaden was a vampire," she breathed, closing her eyes as his breath intermingled with hers.

"And he loved you, just as I do."

"And I became engaged to marry him and I almost kissed him. Oh my," she groaned, jumping off the counter and shoving him forcefully back. "I almost kissed a vampire! Why didn't you tell me what you were?" she moaned, moving to one of her large windows and resting her palms against it, gazing out at the city. "Why did you hide the truth from me?"

"Because you would have been killed a whole lot sooner," Jaden said, stepping up casually behind her and pressing his body against hers. "And you wouldn't have given me the chance to get to know you. My feelings for you are the same. I love you. I still want you to marry me, but now that you know what I am…"

"That you're immortal and I'm supposed to kill you?" she asked, tears streaming down her cheeks. "That you're condemned to hell and you aren't doing anything about it?"

"I have restrained from eating blood for the last three years," Jaden murmured, putting his hands on her shoulders and rubbing them gently. "I have starved myself for you. I want you to live and destroy us, yes. We need to be destroyed."

"Then why won't you tell me how to do it?" she asked, closing her eyes and letting the tears fall.

"Remember what I said about you coming to me?" he asked, kissing the tip of her ear. "I want you to come to me. Then I know that I'll be ready to die. I'm not ready yet."

"If you're going to keep your secrets, then so be it. But I want you to get away from me. I want you to step out of my life and stay out," Angel said, turning her head to look into his eyes and sucking in a deep breath when she saw their immeasurable darkness. "Forget that I ever told you I would marry you."

"Angel," he whispered, kissing her ear and then nuzzling his face against her neck. "I haven't changed just because you know the truth."

"You're like a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde!" Angel snapped. "As Ghost you're cruel and seductive, and as Jaden you're sweet and caring! Don't you dare tell me you haven't changed!"

"I've restrained myself from killing you for the past three years. I've rescued you countless times, including last night…"

"And where did I find you this morning? Lying down next to me, on the floor. Oh my goodness, you were lying next to me! And my collar was open! What did you do?" She panicked, turning to glare at him accusingly.

He grabbed her shoulders tightly and smiled.

"Nothing inappropriate. I only saved your life."

"Please, please just get away from me," Angel struggled, putting her hand on his chest to push him away.

"I realize this news comes to you as a bit overwhelming," Jaden said, grabbing hold of that hand and using it to pull her against him. "So I shall leave you alone to think. But let me assure you of something. Val and his men aren't going to stop hunting you until they've killed you. And I will not step out of your life. I've marked you. You're mine now."

"You've marked me?" she squealed, beginning to hyperventilate.

"Mm hmm. Right here," he said deeply, letting his fingers trace the bite marks on her neck. "You are mine to protect, mine to rescue, mine to love, mine to kill."

"This bite won't protect me from anything!" she gasped, trying to shove his hand away and then choking on her breath when he pressed his mouth to her throat.

"Come to me when you're ready," he breathed against her neck, kissing her hard. "And perhaps more of this struggle will be put to an end. And I will get your first kiss," he said, letting his fingers ghost across her lips. "Farewell my love."

He turned from her, picked his cloak off the floor, and then disappeared.

Angel could barely think. This whole time, Jaden and Ghost had been the same. Why couldn't she see it? This whole time, when she had loved Jaden enough to give herself to him, to spend the rest of her life with him, he had been a bloodsucking monster that threatened her constantly and killed others.

The sweet, kind, loving, thoughtful Jaden was nothing but a heartless vampire. She had wanted to kiss him, to give him her whole self, but there was no possible way she could now. Despite what Jaden…Ghost…had said, things were different now. He was different. He couldn't truly care about her! He wanted to kill her, not love her! Everything he was doing now was for his own selfish reasons!

Her dreams of the future disappeared violently in the next few minutes. Jaden was out of the picture now. He was a liar and a threat. She knew Ghost was never going to stop watching her, and that was terrorizing to her. She came to a conclusion, though, as she thought, and that conclusion was to call Forrest. He needed to know who Jaden really was.

With trembling hands, Angel grabbed her cell phone and dialed Forrest's number. She could barely speak when he answered the phone.

"Forrest," she cried, tears clouding her eyes. "Ghost is Jaden."

The police wrecked Jaden's apartment, searching for him, and naturally they found nothing. He and Crimson were both missing.

The next week found Angel miserable and tired. She spent every day mulling over Jaden, how she wished he wasn't a vampire. She could scarcely believe he had deceived her so well. It hurt her terribly to think of what they could have been, and what he had done. He was so ruthless, so heartless and cruel.

But there were those nights, it must be admitted, when she fell asleep, not with Jaden's face in mind, but with the dark eyes and sharp teeth of Ghost. Her breathing would always slow and her dreams sweeten when she felt his breath brushing against her, when she heard his deep voice whisper her name.

She was torn. Torn between the truth and lies. Torn between love and hate. Torn between darkness and light. Torn between logic and dreams.

She had loved Jaden, and Ghost had said that he and Jaden were the same. But how could they be? It was impossible! They were two completely different people.

She found, the more she thought about it, that deep inside, Ghost was a good man destined to an evil fate. He had saved her several times, and he did have an astounding charm. He and Jaden shared that charm, that powerful air. Maybe she should give Jaden another chance…

But no! He was a vampire, and that was that!

Christmas Eve arrived, bringing with it a party for the actors at Julliard. Angel was downcast as she went to the restaurant where it was taking place. She had dressed in her prettiest dress, a dark gray gown that clung neatly to her figure and had long, flowing sleeves. Her long hair was down in soft curls, and she looked absolutely beautiful as she entered the restaurant.

But her heart was aching.

She didn't join in any of the conversations that went on about her. Her thoughts were completely on Jaden. She didn't watch any of the dancing, and she barely touched her food.

Eleven o'clock arrived, and with it, the opening of the front doors and a cold gust of wind. Angel looked up and sat back viciously in her chair when she saw Jaden step into the building.

He had never looked more outstanding. He was dressed in a black coat and pants, with a white ruffled shirt underneath. His blondish-red hair was pulled back into a small ponytail, with a few loose strands against his face. His eyes were darker than midnight and spoke volumes as they rested on Angel's.

He walked over to her and sat down, never saying anything, just watching her reaction to him.

She couldn't speak, and she looked down, confused and uncertain. Her heart was certainly fluttering, it had been ever since he entered the building, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing the tears in her eyes. She would keep refusing him until she could refuse no longer.

He put his fingertips beneath her chin and raised her face to look at him. Something suddenly flickered in her memory when she gazed into this crimson orbs, something from Val's movie.

The girl in the story had sacrificed something to the vampire. Sure, she hadn't survived after that, but she had to make a sacrifice. Maybe that's why Ghost had kept telling her to come to him. Maybe there was something more to that. Maybe the end of the vampires required the prey to go to the predator, out of her own free will.

She studied his eyes carefully, such pain in hers, such longing and depth in his.

_"Just trust me," _his crimson orbs seemed to plead. _"Just give in. You want to."_

A tear trickled down Angel's cheek, and she shook her head, looking away from him.

No. She was too hurt to yield. He was deadly and vicious, and she couldn't give in. She stood up shakily and moved away from the table, turning her back to him, hoping he couldn't see her crying, though her shoulders were heaving and her breath was coming out as gasps.

She walked out into the snow, her arms wrapped around her chest, her eyes moist with tears. She saw the shadows looming alongside the buildings, tracing her steps, and she didn't care.

Yes, she was alive. She didn't care if they knew that. The next day, she was going to go live with her dad in their home in upstate New York, far away from the dangers of the city where, hopefully, no one would be able to find her. She would leave Jaden behind, forever, and that was that.

Jaden stepped out of the restaurant a short time later and watched as the shadows moved towards him.

"Well, Jaden?" Bartholomew asked, his eyebrows narrowed. "What happened?"

"She's going to leave us," Jaden said solemnly. "She's chosen to run."

"Why won't she just come to you?" Adrian asked, at Bartholomew's side.

"She's afraid, of course," Whisper said, putting a hand on Jaden's shoulder. "She's afraid he'll kill her."

"And if she gave me the opportunity, I would," Jaden scowled, shrugging his comrade's hand off. "Wretch that I am, I would kill her."

"Jaden, we don't have much time before Val loses his patience," Drake said quietly.

"No, we don't. Our time here is coming to an end," Jaden said, falling back against one of the walls, his hands to his heart. "You guys, we might just die and go…go…"

"We'll all be going with you," Whisper said sadly. "Jay, what are we going to do?"

"It all rests on the girl now," Christopher whispered.

"It all depends on her," Jaden breathed and then turned and made his way through the snow.

Sleep did not come easily to Angel, and when it finally came, she was plagued with nightmares and agonizing dreams.

Dreams of Jaden haunted her mind, showing her images of him being stabbed, murdered, and worst of all, of him and the other vampires in his group screaming in agony in a whole pit of flames.

She had one dream, an interlude to the others, of Jaden holding her close, whispering to her, trying to comfort her, but that dream was shattered into pieces when, seconds later, he was screaming her name, falling into darkness and then being engulfed by fire.

Angel sat up, gasping, sweat covering her body, as he disappeared in her sleep.

"Jaden!" she cried, throwing her blankets off her body and rushing to her studio door.

She stopped, taking time to glance at her clock and see that it was just a few minutes after 3:00. Now would be the worst time in the world to approach Jaden, even if he was in his damaged apartment.

She went back to her bed and lay down, but as soon as her head hit the pillows, she started turning uncomfortably, visions of Ghost and Jaden floating mercilessly through her mind.

"I can't do this!" she finally cried, sitting up and gazing at the clock next to her bed. It was just after 4:00. "I can't let him die!" she cried, throwing her blankets off and grabbing a bathrobe to throw over her pajama pants and T-shirt. "No! I won't let him be destroyed!"

She ran to her studio door, flung it open, and then rushed out into the hallway and to the elevator.

A thousand thoughts must have gone through her mind as the elevator door closed behind her. But one thought lingered. She had to see Jaden before she left New York for good. She couldn't just leave him without letting him know how much she actually cared. Certainly, she hated what Ghost was, but she didn't hate him. He had saved her life before, and she knew, deep down, that he truly loved her. Otherwise she would have been dead years ago.

She didn't realize that she had forgotten to put on slippers as she raced out of her studio building and to Jaden's apartment building. She burst into the building and then raced up the stairs, flying towards his apartment.

She found his door unlocked, and she burst into the room and let out a gasp when she saw the mess it was in. Papers were all over the apartment, several chairs were overturned, and there was broken glass strewn throughout the living and dining areas.

She closed the apartment door quietly behind her and then began to pick up the papers and put them on the living room table. One particular paper, written in Gothic style calligraphy, caught her eye, and she began to read it slowly, carefully.

"What is life, if one is only going to die? Why fight if you're only going to fail? Why love if you will only end up killing? Why have hope if there is no eternity worth hoping for? Such questions plague me to no end. Why am I condemned to an eternity of pain when I have tried so hard to overcome what I am and live? I wish so much to be a creature that one can love, not hate, that one can trust, and not fear. I loathe myself for the killing and massacring that my race is known for. I despise the very fangs that sustain me, that give me life. But I know of no hope, save one. There is one woman, an angel that can rescue me. Strange, how she can rescue me by destroying me. I suppose it won't rescue me from my eternity, but it will free me from the creature that I am. If only there was some way to have another chance at eternity, someone that could free me from this bondage without stopping my life."

One of Angel's tears fell on the paper, and she placed it on the table and then sat down on Jaden's large, black leather couch. The furniture was still warm, and it had just a faint breeze of his smell on it. She cuddled up against the leather and breathed in that smell, that intoxicating, warm smell that was Jaden. Her eyes closed, and she fell into a sweet, contented sleep.


	19. Never Say Goodbye

**You all are awesome! Thank you for the reviews!**

**Never Say Goodbye**

The apartment door was unlocked, and then it opened quietly. Jaden stepped into his apartment, his eyebrows narrowed as he wondered why the door had been unlocked. His eyes flitted suspiciously across the room, expecting to see enemy vampires or the police, but there was no one there. At least, not at first glance. His eyes caught sight of the paper, piled up neatly on the living room table, and then a small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth when he saw a woman lying on the couch, cuddled up comfortably against it, her bathrobe draped off her shoulders and her breathing slow and soothed.

He closed the door silently and then moved towards the couch. He reached underneath the sofa and pulled out a dark blue blanket. He then put it gently across Angel's body, and he watched, satisfied, as she curled up against it, mumbling something contentedly as she did so.

Her eyes opened slowly when she felt the new warmth on her body, and she gazed up to see Jaden standing above her, his dark eyes studying her carefully.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, sitting up abruptly, her cheeks turning a fiery red. "Oh, I…I'm sorry!"

She slipped out of the blanket and stood up, suddenly nervous as she gazed at his face.

Her mind cleared, and she remembered her dreams, the powerful desire she had to see him, and the fact that she was leaving the city today.

"I trust you slept well?" Jaden asked, an eyebrow arched.

She glanced down at the glass-covered carpet, embarrassed, and then gathered her courage and looked up into his face.

"I came to see you," she said, her eyes firm as she gazed up at him, the rising sun sending stray beams of light across his golden hair, making it shine.

"Indeed," he snorted, turning from her and walking towards his kitchen.

"Jay, wait!" she called, grabbing his arm and watching as her hand slid to his as he turned to face her. "I…I've come to you…just as you wanted."

His eyes darkened more.

"So you've come," he said deeply.

"What…what exactly was I supposed to do? I want to save you! What can I do?"

"Why do you want to save me, after all I've put you through?" he growled.

"Because…because I love you," she stumbled, gazing steadfastly into his eyes. "I love you, whether you are Ghost or Jaden. And I'm leaving the city today, and I wanted to see you one last time."

"I'm glad you are leaving," he said slowly, and then pulled his hand away from hers and moved that and his other one to the back of his neck. "I have a gift for you."

"A gift?" she asked, watching him take off his necklace with the black medallion and hold it out to her.

"You need to keep this with you until we both can learn what the phrase 'light consumes the darkness' means."

"Why are you giving me this?" Angel asked.

"Because I am giving you my very essence, my entire being, for you to keep safe," Jaden said, letting his fingers brush against her cheek. "Once Val and his men realize I no longer have that, they will kill me. I can handle that, but I can't fathom the thought of my men dying and going to the same terror I'll be going to. Keep that, and find a way to save my men. I will die. That is a fact. Val and his men have been waiting long enough to kill me, and when they find that my medallion, the article that declares me their lord, is gone, they will destroy me. Keep that hidden. Don't let anyone see it. Somehow, the destruction of the vampires will come through that."

"You can't let yourself die like that, not until I've found a way to save your soul from the flames," Angel said, her lips quivering. "Don't give up on yourself, Jaden. You're Ghost, the strongest of the vampires and their leader. You can't give up."

"A true leader is one that sacrifices his life for his people. I will gladly die if you can spare my men from the same fate," Jaden said quietly. "Please, find a way to do that, and then destroy us. But not before you've found a way to get my people to a better eternity. You need to go. I know you are leaving the city in only a few hours. Get ready to leave. And forget about me. You won't be seeing me again," he smiled sadly, his fangs glistening in the morning light.

Angel put the necklace on the table next to her, let out a sob, and then flung her arms around his neck.

He started, uncertain about this new behavior, but then he felt her hot tears falling onto his neck, and he understood. She was afraid, and she didn't want to lose him. She was afraid for _him_. Somehow, the part of him she had come to love still lingered in her mind, and she didn't want him to die.

"Angel," he murmured. "You're rather close to a vampire."

"I don't care," she sniffed, burying her face in his chest. "I love you so much."

Slowly, uncertainly, he let his arms wrap around her and then pulled her closer to him, pressing her body against his. He combed his fingers through her hair, holding her quietly and letting her cry. The poor angel had been through so much. _He_ had put her through so much that she didn't deserve. And now, finally, she had come to him, and she was hurting, clinging to him like she'd never let him go.

"You need to go," he breathed against her ear. "Your dad will be expecting you, and you need to get out of this city."

"I wish you could come with me," she whispered, her breath rushing against his chest. "I don't want you to stay here, alone, and get killed."

"You have beautiful thoughts, but you're showing mercy to a vampire, someone that has very much wanted you in ways that would be intolerable to mention," Jaden spoke, kissing the tip of her ear gently for emphasis.

"You would never hurt me."

He didn't answer, but buried his nose deep into her skin, getting closer to her, getting one last smell of her before she left his life for good. To his surprise, she closed the little space left between them, letting him take a long whiff, and his eyes squeezed shut when he smelled her blood, flowing beneath her skin.

"You smell so good," he breathed, and then, against his better judgment, he moved his lips to her neck and kissed her slowly.

She didn't move, but closed her eyes and let him touch her. His touch was feather-light and perfectly beautiful, and her heart started pounding wildly. He felt her increase in heart rate beneath his lips, and it intoxicated him. His pupils dilated, the red in his eyes became darker, and he dared to deepen his kisses, tracing his mouth up her neck to the area below her ear. He growled as his lips moved passionately against her skin, and she gasped as his hold on her tightened and a delirious fever raged through her.

Her breathing quickened, and it encouraged him more. His kisses became heated, and he moved his lips up her chin to the corner of her mouth. Once there, he let his mouth linger against her soft skin, so terribly close to her lips, his lips brushing furiously against her. Her mouth opened slightly as he forced her back, towards the kitchen counter, trapping her in place.

She could hear his agonized breathing, could feel him deepening his kiss against her skin, and she knew that things were going to take a dangerous turn for the worse if she didn't stop him. No matter how much she liked these feelings flowing through her, no matter how much she wanted him, or he wanted her, he had to stop.

Angel put a hand to his stomach and then pushed him away, getting him to release her and take a few steps back. She leaned back against the counter, gasping, and her eyes wide with surprise. He stood calmly before her, his dark eyes deep with yearning, and his hands clenched into fists at his sides, somehow helping him control himself.

"You are heavenly," he breathed, and to Angel's surprise, she saw a tear slip from the corner of his eye and drip down his pale cheek. "If only we could be more. If only I could survive to see you again. You need to go, now," he said, making his voice rough. "I'm afraid I can't hold back much longer. Go quickly."

She pushed away from the counter, grabbed his necklace from off the coffee table, and then moved quickly to the apartment door. She looked over her shoulder one last time, to see him silently mouth his last message to her, and then left the apartment, closing the door firmly behind her.

_"I love you."_

Angel was surprised, when she arrived back at her studio, to see a group of men waiting for her inside.

"Ah, there she is," Dorian said, gazing up from her couch, a smile on his face. "We've come to help you move."

"The taxi's waiting for you," Adrian nodded.

"You aren't dressed to go yet!" Baron exclaimed.

"You…you all came to see me off?" Angel asked, surprised.

"Of course," Christopher said.

"Hmm… Seems someone's been with Ghost," Whisper said, noticing her flushed cheeks. "Did you say good-bye?"

"I…I did," Angel struggled, and she watched sadly as Adrian got off the couch and walked over to her.

"It'll be okay," he said, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her.

"No it won't," she whispered. "Val and his people are going to kill me. They'll kill Jaden first."

"Jaden has survived for hundreds of years. I think he can survive a little longer," Drake said easily.

"If only I could believe that," she sighed.

"Go get changed so you can leave," Adrian smiled, giving her one more squeeze before he let her go. "We'll start getting your things into the taxi."

Once Angel was dressed for the trip, she stepped back into her studio to find it fairly empty. Packers were going to come take her furniture the next day, but that was all that was left.

Drake stood waiting for her, his dark hair swept across his forehead and to the side.

"You ready?" he asked.

"I'm going to miss it here," Angel said quietly, gazing about her comfortable studio. "There are so many memories, so many hopes I'll be leaving here."

"And so many threats. It is better that you are leaving," Drake said, taking her hand. "Come on."

Angel followed him slowly down to the awaiting taxi, her heart aching within her. She remembered every time she and Jaden had stood outside her studio, speaking late into the night. She recalled the dinners she had prepared there for the vampires. She remembered every detail, every prayer, and every good thing that had happened there.

"But it's time to move on, Angel," Whisper's voice came, interrupting her thoughts. "Put away the memories. Move on with your life. Become something great. Put us out of your mind and stay out of the city as much as you can."

"Tally ho," Dorian said, opening the taxi door for her.

Angel turned to look at these men; these seven creatures that were trying so desperately to do what was right, despite the circumstances. In an amazingly short amount of time, they had become brothers to her, something special that she would treasure forever.

"I don't know how to thank you for everything you've done for me," she whispered, gazing at each one of them in the eyes.

"Thank us by leaving and forgetting about us," Bartholomew sighed.

"Angel," Adrian said, opening his arms wide.

She flung herself against him and sobbed against his leather jacket.

"Shh…" he whispered, holding her close and nodding his head to the others.

They all closed in on her, and she was moved from one vampire to the other, receiving a hug from each of them in turn. Whisper ended up placing her in the taxi, and then he closed the door for her. She rolled the window down and smiled up at them sadly. Baron then leaned down and kissed her cheek. Somehow, after all that kindness, she found the strength to look forward, and she did so. The taxi driver then started the car, and it moved away from her studio building.

"Those your brothers?" the driver asked, chewing on a toothpick.

"One would think," she whispered, resting her head against the window.

They reached the edge of the city twenty minutes later, and Angel looked back. She gasped when she saw seven silhouettes shadowed against the sunlight, all of them standing atop tall buildings, all of them wearing black cloaks and watching her, giving her one last salute as she left their lives…presumably forever.

Tom was waiting for Angel excitedly outside of their home. He had bought this house only a few months before, in the hopes that she would soon be returning to live with him and that he would be able to cut down on work enough to spend time with his only child. It was a quaint, comfortable home, situated in the woods, about fifteen minutes outside of a small city. There was a beautiful garden behind the house, now covered with snow, and a small creek. Not too far away from that was an immense meadow that Angel knew, upon hearing about it; she would fall in love with.

Tom brought all of her luggage in for her, after having greeted her warmly, and then he left her to her new room so he could pay the taxi driver (handsomely, since it was Christmas), and then finish cooking a feast for himself and Angel.

Angel went up to her room and gazed at it tiredly.

She had been given the finished attic. She had always wanted to live in an attic, and Tom had supplied that want. The room was large and painted a light, warm green. There was a Queen-sized bed against one wall, covered in a thick white comforter with little green flowers sprayed across it. She had a small night table at the head of the bed, with a beautiful little lamp. There was a vanity against one of the other walls, white and lovely. There was also a closet, dresser, and a window seat placed right beneath a large window that was covered with sheer, white curtains.

Angel moved to the window and sat down, pulling the drapes aside carefully. She gazed out at the snow-covered trees, with the sunlight just beginning to disappear atop them.

"Lord," she prayed. "I miss him, so, so much."

She put her hand to her neck, her fingers immediately brushing against Jaden's dagger-like medallion. She took the medallion in her fingers and studied it carefully. It was so black, and the ruby in the center was so exquisite. She couldn't imagine how much a necklace like this would have cost, just for that stone. What was it about this necklace? It proved Jaden to be the king of the vampires, yes, but what was the secret behind it?

She would find out. Even if it took her years, she would learn the truth behind this necklace, the truth behind what she was and how to save Jaden and his men. She was determined, and she would do it.

The months began to pass pleasantly for Angel, though always, in the back of her mind, she had the fate of the vampires. Her father found her a job as a librarian at the local library. She could access this library by way of a path leading through the woods from her house to the building. She spent almost every day there, reading to children and arranging books, CDs, and movies. She felt safe there, in such a quiet place, far away from the city.

Always, on her body, she kept her mother's necklace and Jaden's necklace. Jaden's necklace was always hidden beneath her shirt, but she let her diamond necklace shine, and it received many compliments.

Forrest visited her often. He knew of her grief concerning Jaden, and he sought to comfort her. He would always bring her a gift and some story about what was happening with the police in the city, but he never mentioned Jaden and the vampires, knowing that it would only pain her if she heard news of them.

Truthfully, Ghost hadn't been seen since Angel left. Forrest could only assume he was hiding, and it was better that he stay that way. Unfortunately, he also knew that it was only a matter of time before Angel was dragged back into that vicious battle again.


	20. Violent Reunion

Thank you so much to everyone who has been reviewing! When I first started posting this, I didn't get any reviews, but now I have a few of you, and I feel so blessed!

**Violent Reunion**

May arrived, bringing with it warm weather and frequent rain showers every afternoon.

One particular afternoon found Angel jogging home from the library, laughing as the rain poured down on her. She arrived at the meadow, now covered with long green grass and wild flowers, and then raced across the field, dancing and twirling with the rain. She hadn't been this happy in a very long time, and it seemed nothing could destroy her joy. Nothing, except for the sudden shadow she saw following her at the edge of the woods.

She picked up her pace, arriving at her house and then slamming the front door shut behind her and locking it. Her father was gone for the evening, having work to accomplish in the city, and she was alone. In a panic, she rushed to each door and window, assuring herself that they were locked, and then she went up to her attic, assuming that no one would go up there.

She was wrong. As soon as she opened her bedroom door and slammed it shut behind her, she turned and screamed when she saw a cloaked figure standing there.

"Angel, it's I, Whisper," Whisper said, throwing his hood back so she could see his face.

"Whisper! You could have told me you were coming!" Angel gasped, letting out a long sigh of relief. "What brings you here? How did you find me?"

"Necessity, Angel. Ghost has been captured."

"What?" she gasped, her face immediately paling.

"Val got him this morning. I felt it necessary to come to you. He's going to die, you know that, if you can't find a way to save him," Whisper said sadly.

"Where did they bring him?" Angel asked worriedly, grabbing a white jacket and throwing it over her white shirt and khaki pants.

"England."

"Goodness, Whisper! I don't have the time to get there!" she panicked.

"I can take you there quickly enough," he said urgently. "We need to get there, Angel. They've already had some time to hurt him. I just found out where you were a few minutes ago!"

"I'm coming," Angel said, changing her wet shoes for a pair of white sneakers.

"Before you so eagerly throw yourself into danger, do you know how to destroy us?" Whisper asked, grabbing her shoulders as she stepped towards him.

"No," she said quietly. "But I won't let him die, Whisper. I love him."

"This isn't a movie, Angel. Love doesn't conquer all in our world. It kills us," Whisper said fiercely.

"You came to me for help. I'm going to do everything I can," Angel said calmly. "He needs me. That's all I need to know."

"What about your dad?" Whisper asked, gulping down nervous saliva as she stepped closer to him.

"There's no possible way I can get a hold of him right now. If we're going to save Jaden, we need to go," Angel said. "You really are worried, aren't you?" she asked, looking up at his face.

"Ghost is my leader," Whisper said, pulling her close to him and then grabbing the edge of his cloak.

"He's more than that," Angel said, taking his hand as he wrapped his cloak around them.

"And he's my older brother," Whisper said quietly, and then they disappeared.

The next thing Angel knew, she was standing on wet, muddy ground in a rain-soaked forest. Rain poured down on her, drenching her, and she shuddered.

"Does England always have storms?" she asked.

"Not always," Whisper said, and then, to her surprise, whistled.

A whinny followed his call, and Angel gasped and jumped behind the powerful vampire when a horse, large, black, and intimidating to her, charged out of the woods towards Whisper.

"We're going to have to ride from here," Whisper said, swinging up onto the huge horse and offering his hand to Angel.

"You're kidding, right?" she whispered.

"No. The castle isn't too far from here, and we need to be subtle. We can't just appear there. Whoa, you're going to stick out," he said, gazing at her white outfit as he grabbed her hand and pulled her up onto the horse. "Steady, Gentleman," he spoke as the horse shifted.

"What would you suggest I do?" Angel asked worriedly.

"There will be a cloak waiting for us at the base of the stream."

"Stream?" she gasped as the horse started off at a canter.

"The proper entranceway if you aren't an imposter," Whisper nodded and then clucked to Gentleman, urging him to go faster.

Angel squeezed her eyes shut as the horse charged through the woods, the rain pouring down on her body. Her mind was fast at work as she clung to Whisper. How in the world could she save Jaden? It wasn't as though she had figured out the secret of his necklace! What was the meaning behind "the light consuming the darkness'?" None of it made any sense! And here she was, charging off to rescue Jaden when she didn't know how!

The giant horse slid to a stop ten minutes later, and Angel slammed hard against Whisper's back. She groaned and then slipped off the horse, her whole chest hurting.

"Are you okay?" Whisper asked worriedly, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Just fine," Angel hissed between her teeth and then glanced to the stream in front of Gentleman.

It wasn't a friendly-looking stream. The water was moving rapidly, due to the storm, and it looked deep.

"We're supposed to swim through that?" she asked, walking over to the water.

"Do you think you can do it?" Whisper asked.

She nodded, bit her lip, and then waded into the water.

It was freezing. Her teeth chattered together as she began to wade after Whisper, following him in a watery trail through the woods.

"Here we go," Whisper said, and then sank down into the water and started swimming. Angel hissed in between her teeth as she dropped down, water soaking through her clothes, freezing against her skin. The water beat against her, splashing up against her chest and getting in her nose and mouth. She gasped, sputtering out water, and then shuddered as a streak of lightning flashed overhead, illuminating the dark sky. In England, it was early morning now, still dark, and the storm was beginning to get worse.

"Come on," Whisper said, grabbing her hand and pulling her along.

"How much further?" Angel asked, struggling to stay afloat.

He didn't answer, but the trees in front of her suddenly parted, revealing an immense, old stone castle. She and Whisper were swimming into an entranceway that had once been grated, serving as a sewage resource.

"The water gets a little rough here, so hold on," Whisper said, letting go of her hand.

He was dunked under the water from an undercurrent, and Angel gasped as the same current caught her and she was pulled under the water. She struggled to get to the top, feeling the water rushing against her, sending her in the general direction of the castle. Her body bumped against something hard, and she surfaced, gasping and sputtering. Whisper grabbed her by her forearms and pulled her up onto solid ground.

"There is a cloak for you," he said, pulling a pile of dark fabric off the stone floor and handing it to her.

Her teeth chattered together as she grabbed the material and then opened it up.

It was a black cloak, somewhat like the others, but it didn't have a hood. The top was open at the neck, opened for several inches down, showing her white shirt beneath it. The collar was upturned, and Angel looked up at Whisper as she finished putting the cloak on.

"What am I going to do about a hood?" she asked worriedly.

"There's one tucked inside the collar," Whisper said, pulling it out for her. "You're going to need to hold the top of that cloak closed, so they can't see the white."

"Whisper, this definitely shows I'm a woman," Angel said uncomfortably, pulling the hood over her drenched hair. "I'm so much smaller than you, and this cloak just drowns me."

"You'll stay behind me and the others, and you'll be fine," Whisper said, leading her towards a heavy stone door. "In we go. Just don't say anything, and don't make any sounds, and you should be okay."

"What about Jaden? What have they done with him?" Angel asked, following him into a muggy tunnel.

"Nothing much, as of yet. They questioned him, but they haven't done anything terrible," Whisper said. "Now shhh…"

Angel bowed her head as she followed him through the damp corridor and then out into a torch-lit hallway. Thunder rumbled from outside, but there were no windows here to show any of the storm. Angel shuddered as she followed Whisper to a huge set of double doors, and she grabbed his hand, squeezed it tightly once, and then pulled back slightly as he opened the doors and they stepped inside, right into a room full of vampires.

Valiris was seated on a large, dark stone chair at the far end of the room, and the others were gathered about, bickering and arguing, their conversation focused solely on Ghost's missing necklace. All of them, it seemed, were in a frenzy to find where it was, and they all seemed to be breathing murderous threats against Jaden.

"Now see here," Val said, interrupting the arguing as Angel and Whisper came to a stop behind the vampire that, Angel knew, was Dorian. "I don't believe we're giving his lordship another chance. He never confessed to giving away the necklace. Perhaps it was stolen."

"You know no one could have stolen that!" One of Val's men snapped. "Our very existence rests on that necklace!"

"Bring Jaden out!" Another man shouted, his eyes flashing angrily. "You questioned him already, but it's high time we all added a little extra pressure to his load."

"Oh, very well," Val said with a sigh and a wave of his hand.

"Whisper," Dorian said quietly, stepping back to speak to the man. "Where were you?"

"I went to New York."

"You didn't…" Adrian said, moving to Angel and putting his hands on her shoulders. "Whisper!" he hissed. "You shouldn't have brought her here! They're going to kill Jaden, and the last thing you want is for her to see it! She'll give everything away, and we'll all die anyway, and her with us!"

"I won't say anything," Angel whispered, looking up at him from behind her hood.

"Have you ever seen a man beaten to death?" Dorian whispered, putting a hand on her arm.

"No," she shuddered.

"Great. Just great," Adrian sighed, turning away. "We're all going to die. That's the end of that."

"I'll be fine," Angel whispered.

"There needs to come an end to all this," Whisper said, gazing at the two men. "She's the end to it."

"But how bitter of an end do we need to have?" Adrian asked, and then he and Dorian turned when a door at the far side of the room slammed open.

Angel had to stand on tiptoes to see past the tall men before her, and when she saw what the commotion was about, she had to bite her lip to stop from crying out.

Jaden was dragged into the center of the room; his hands bound tightly before him, his chest and back covered with bloody stripes from a fierce lashing. His crimson eyes were dark with anger, and his mouth was set firmly in a fierce line.

He was shoved to his knees, and he landed hard on the stone floor. He looked up at Val and then spoke, his fangs menacing in the illumination from the lightning, his whole countenance dark and dangerous.

"You sent, Val? Or is it Lord Valiris now?" he growled.

"The men have a few questions for you, Lord Jaden. I thought you might like to answer those questions in hopes of redeeming yourself. As far as I'm concerned, you're as good as dead," Val said easily. "Gentlemen?"

"What happened to your necklace?" the crowd immediately shouted, and Angel shivered when Jaden laughed, a carefree, unconcerned laugh.

"Is that all?" he asked. "This is what all this is about?"

"This is no laughing matter, Ghost," one of the vampires hissed. "Our whole lives depend on that necklace."

"No, your lives rest in the hands of a woman," Jaden corrected. "To whom the necklace now belongs to."

"What?" the crowd roared, and all made an attempt to lunge at Jaden.

"Men!" Val shouted. "Control yourselves! Lord Jaden, what incentive did you have for giving her such a valuable medallion?"

"Love," Jaden said coolly, and his voice was echoed by hisses and snarls. "Out of love, I gave it away."

"That woman will destroy us!"

"And so be it!" Jaden shouted, finally losing his temper. He struggled to his feet and turned, looking each vampire in the eye that he could. "We're nothing but animals, monsters, which would go about killing people for our own selfish needs! Yes, blood is what sustains us, but my men and I have lasted three years now without much blood at all! We've survived on meat and hamburgers, for crying out loud! Does it taste as wonderful as fresh blood? Of course not! But we did it! Don't you see what we are? We prey on the innocent, and yes, the not so innocent. We seduce women, lure them into a heavenly pavilion, and then kill them. We can't have children, because we kill every woman we come into contact with. We are doomed to a fate that no one should ever want. It's high time we were destroyed! We're nothing but…but demons! If any of you would just take the time to think, you would see that our destruction is for the better good."

"There is one person whose destruction would be for our good," one of the men hissed, and then Val stood up and gazed down smugly at Jaden.

"I think you just sealed your fate. You will die, and we will find Angel and kill her also. You'll have failed in giving her that necklace."

"And you'll become lord of the vampires," Jaden nodded angrily. "These poor dogs will fall under your dictatorship. Naturally, you wouldn't give anyone else a chance to take my place. Like my brother, perhaps? The next heir to the lordship?" Jaden asked, tossing his head in Whisper's direction.

"All of your men are dying with you," Val smirked. "I believe they wanted it that way, did they not? Each of them is just as much a traitor to us as you are. Gents, let's give these innocent few a good show before they follow their leader to the grave, shall we?"

"This is when we bring Angel out of the room," Bartholomew said, coming up behind Angel and taking her arm. "She doesn't need to see this."

"No! I have to stay," Angel whispered, her eyes glued to Jaden. "I thought vampires can't be killed except by another vampire's bite or by me? How then are they going to hurt him?"

"We can hurt physically, Angel," Baron said, coming up with Christopher. "Iron stakes are the worst of it, but I don't know if they'll bring that out."

"Not yet. They're bringing out the nine-tails," Adrian said. "You sure you want to stay for this, Angel? There are ways we can sneak you out."

"I want to stay. I love Jaden. I'm not going to leave him," Angel said bravely, standing up taller. "Whatever pain he goes through, I will as well. I have to be here for him, even if he doesn't know I am."

Her words were barely finished being spoken when the sound of a whip striking at the air and then coming down against flesh penetrated Angel's senses. Her whole body trembled in pain as the whip fell, again and again, against Jaden' back, neck, and chest. He stood bravely, his face determined, until he could stand no longer. His legs gave way from the pain, and he fell onto his hands and knees on the floor. He refused to cry out, refused to give Val and the others the satisfaction of seeing him beg and plead for mercy. No. He would bear this like the lord that he was.

Long, drawn out minutes passed, and Angel winced with each lashing. The smell of blood filled the room, and Jaden's skin was pulled away from his muscles, revealing tissue that Angel knew was exposed enough to kill him. But there must have been something amazing about vampire blood, for he didn't die and continued to remain silent, though his breathing became louder with every lash.

Val wasn't satisfied that the great lord wasn't whimpering to him. So he called the men off and ordered that clubs be brought instead.

That was enough to nearly kill Angel. Jaden was beaten unmercifully against his whole body, making him fall from his crawling position, striking his chest hard against the stone floor. His eyes were wide with pain, and blood coated his body. It was amazing, to Angel, that the vampires never heard her continually throwing up.

And then came Angel's breaking point.

Jaden started crying. His body was oozing with scarlet, and as he opened his mouth to suck in more air, blood came out. It was dripping from his nose and coming up his throat, and Angel's heart just about stopped.

"You pitiful wretch," Val sneered, lowering himself to Jaden's eye level and forcing the vampire's head up so he could gaze coldly into his eyes. "You've failed. Once I'm finished with you, I'll go for your girl. I'll contaminate her and her corrupt until she wishes she were dead. And then I'll grant her wish."

Jaden's eyes were watering, and he watched, dully, as Val drew a silver stake from his side, wanting to finish Jaden off himself before he and the others went for the fallen vampire's blood. He raised the stake high, and Angel lost all restraint.

She screamed, and every head turned to look at her.

"No!" she cried, bursting out of Adrian's grip on her arm and flying to Jaden. She collapsed next to him, pushing her hood back viciously so he could see her face, and then put her hands to his face.

"Jay, it's me," she whispered, running her fingers through his blood-matted hair. "I can't let them kill you."

"Angel," he groaned, his body quivering from agony. "You shouldn't have come."

"And you never should have saved me," she whispered, and then screamed again as rough hands found her shoulders and pulled her to her feet. She was spun about ferociously, and then was pulled hard against Valiris. He smiled cruelly, putting his stake to her throat and then moved his lips to the corner of her mouth.

"You foolish girl," he whispered, and then flung her away from him, hard. She spun out of her cloak as he pulled her, completely in white now, completely visible to all her enemies.

She fell back against one of the walls and then cried out as one of the enemy vampires grabbed her hands, pushed them hard above her head, and then chained them to the wall.

"What to do with the angel?" Val asked, his eyes glittering as he paced in a circle around Jaden. "And how did she get here?"

His eyes shot to Adrian's.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you?" he smiled cruelly.

"I have no idea how she got here," Adrian answered.

"No, but Whisper does," one of Val's men hissed.

"I thought you wanted her destroyed," Whisper said powerfully. "So I brought her to you."

"How generous," Val growled. "I thought you brought her to stop me."

"Of course not," Whisper said without flinching.

"You can't kill Jaden!" Angel shouted, struggling with her bonds. "He's your leader! You can't just kill him!"

"And what kind of leader would want to destroy his own people?" Val snarled, moving to her and grabbing hold of her jacket collar as she struggled to remain standing, all the blood draining from her hands and arms.

"One who knows that what you're doing is wrong," Angel gasped.

"Oh, Jaden, you actually managed to get human sympathy," Val tsked, watching as his men dragged Jaden to his feet so the dying vampire could look at Val.

Jaden bowed his head, so tired, so ready to just roll over and die.

"It's a pity she had to be so beautiful," Val sighed. "Jaden, I'm going to kill her."

"You can't," Dorian said easily, stepping out of the line of vampires and moving over to Angel and Val. "He's marked her, Val."

Val snarled and grabbed Angel's hair. She screeched as he pulled it away from her neck, gazing at the bite mark that was there.

"I bit her," he smirked.

"And Ghost saved her," Dorian nodded. "Therefore, she's his. You have no right to kill her. Every one in this room will testify to that."

"Oh, very well," Val said with a wave of his hand. "Let Jaden finish her off then."

"What?" Jaden shouted, suddenly being pushed towards Angel.

"You love her so much. You kill her," Val grinned, watching as the wounded vampire was flung against Angel.

They both gasped when he slammed into her, making her back hit the wall, hard. He grabbed hold of her chains, trying to hold himself up, his breath fast and hard against her face and neck.

"Good," he whispered. "I hoped he would do this."

"Why?" Angel breathed, her body in pain, as he remained crushed against her, his blood spilling over her clothes.

"Because I know how you can destroy us. The meaning of 'the light consuming the darkness' makes perfect sense to me now. I have to bite you, and you need to act like you're in heavenly bliss, like the other women do when they're dying. Pretend I'm killing you. I'm going to have to make you bleed, severely, so it covers my necklace. Are you wearing it?" Jaden asked, panic suddenly in his voice.

"Yes, under my shirt. I never took it off," Angel whispered fearfully.

"It's going to hurt like fire when I bite you, but I have to draw as much blood from you as I can. You'll understand later. Just trust me, and please, with all of your greatest acting abilities, Angel, act like you're dying. Try not to act like you're in agony, even though you will be. It's going to hurt, so badly, but it's for everyone's good," Jaden said, turning his head slightly as Val appeared in his vision. "Act like you've already died and gone to heaven."

"Like Rachel," Angel whispered. "I know."

"And Angel," Jaden whispered, his nose rubbing against her. "I love you."

"Tradition would have me refrain from killing your prey, but if you don't get on with it, Jaden, I will break tradition," Val snarled, stalking towards Jaden.

"I was just saying my good-byes," Jaden gasped, his body trembling from fatigue and pain. "Here we go," he whispered to Angel, his fingers trembling as he leaned his face closer.

She started acting immediately.

"No! Please don't kill me!" she whimpered, shrinking beneath his height. "What about us? What about what we shared? How can you do this to me?"

"Just shut it," he snarled, putting his hand hard across her mouth and moving his hand to the collar of her shirt.

He pulled down on her collar, ripping it a few inches, and then grabbed hold of his necklace, the one pressed firmly against her skin. He pulled it out of its place in her shirt and then pressed his lips to her throat. His whole body was quaking as he breathed in her scent, intoxicating him despite the situation. And, despite the situation, Angel had to throw her head back against the wall and gasp at his touch. His lips moved soothingly against her soft skin, comforting her before he opened his mouth and pressed his fangs to her throat. She tried not to be afraid, but her hands grasped his back, holding him close so the others couldn't see the sheer terror that was making her body tremble.

_Please, please, please, _she pleaded. _Just get it over with!_

And then it happened.

She let out a shrill, horrified scream as his teeth embedded themselves in her skin, puncturing layers and making her blood begin to seep viciously from her body. She couldn't stop her body from convulsing, couldn't prevent herself from trying to break free from her bonds. She didn't feel Jaden's hands press against her stomach, pushing her back against the wall, holding her up with the little strength he had left. She began to go numb as her blood rushed through her body, screaming in agony, flowing to aid the immense wound that was at her neck.

Tears of pain streamed down the young woman's cheeks, and she let out a moan when Jaden put his nose to hers.

"Angel," he whispered. "Act, my darling. Act."

_"I'm in too much pain!"_ she wanted to scream, but she knew the importance of doing what he asked, and so, in deadly agony, she suddenly grabbed him by his shoulders and pulled him forcefully to her. Her lips crashed against the side of his mouth, agonized sounds coming from the back of her throat as she kissed him fervently, trying to drown out her pain and do as he had asked.

He responded to her touch, his mouth moving swiftly against her cheek, one hand moving to her waist, the other towards her neck, to hold the medallion in place as her blood flowed across it. She grabbed his hair, clenching it tightly, letting him pick her up slightly with every last ounce of his strength, just to convince the vampires that this act was real.

"Oh God, oh God help," she groaned against his skin as her body trembled from the lack of blood.

"My Angel. My poor, poor Angel," Jaden whispered against her, moving his face slightly so he could look into her eyes.

The light in her gray orbs was dimming, and he watched as she began to close her eyes, the loss of blood taking its toll on her. He moved his mouth from her temple down to her throat, kissing her lovingly, and then buried his face in her hair. She collapsed against him, letting out a long, pained breath before she went completely unconscious.

"She didn't last as long as they usually do," Val said, stepping up behind Jaden and pulling him away from Angel.

"I can't believe you made me do that," Jaden gasped, watching Angel's body slump against the wall.

"We wanted some entertainment before you died," Val shrugged and then put his hand to Angel's neck. Her blood flowed onto his fingers, and he raised them to his mouth and sucked on them, delicately drinking the blood off each finger. "Poor, pathetic creature," he smiled wickedly before he moved his mouth to Angel's throat.

"You get off her!" Jaden shouted, in a rage, as Val began to drink her steadily flowing blood.

There was a flash of lightning from outside, a crash of thunder, and, to some of the vampires' discomfort, a long, mournful howl.

Jaden watched, eyes brimming with fury, as Val drank deeply of his love, letting his lips move passionately against Angel's skin as her blood stained his lips. Jaden had bitten Angel the way he did for the sole purpose of saving her and bringing about the destruction of the vampires, and yet Val had seemingly found his trick and was destroying Angel, right before him. He seemed to be enjoying it immensely, growling in the back of his throat as his mouth traced her neck.

"Someone do something!" Jaden shouted, turning his eyes to look at Adrian and Baron, who were watching this scene sadly.

Without their leader, they were uncertain about what they should do.

Jaden cried out, with an animal-like shout, and lunged towards Angel, but two of the vampires held him back, and he was too tired to fight. He watched, his eyes dull, as Val spun away from Angel and pulled the silver stake out of a sheath at his side. He walked towards Jaden, smiling wickedly, and raised the stake to strike, destroying Jaden forever.

But then, the most unexpected thing happened.


	21. Unexpected Allies

The stained glass above the throne suddenly shattered, and an immense animal, well over one hundred pounds, with red fur and glistening fangs, leaped through the shattered glass and flew at Valiris. Valiris hissed and then threw the stake towards the animal. Artfully, impossibly, in midair, the animal twisted itself, completely avoiding the stake and never altering its flight. It flung itself full force into Val, knocking him hard to the floor. It then proceeded to bare its immense fangs and lunged for Val's throat.

The shock of such a beast flying through a window was difficult to fathom, but one threatening you with its teeth, like you had done to so many others, was nothing short of outstanding. Val's instincts reacted, however, and he flipped over, knocking the creature off him. The creature didn't so much as yelp, but bounded to its feet and stepped back a short ways, its ears pinned back and its teeth bared and gleaming in the dim lighting. Its eyes were large and almost yellow in color, and the auburn fur on its back was bristling, standing straight up.

"A wolf?" Val asked aloud, surprised that such a creature would have bounded straight through a window that was located right above the ocean.

"Not a wolf," Bartholomew said, eyes wide. "Don't you know a German Shepherd when you see one?"

"By Scott, it's Crimson!" Adrian shouted.

"How'd he get here?" Whisper yelled.

"I didn't want to leave him at home by himself," Drake shrugged.

"Crimson?" Jaden asked, falling to the floor and then crawling towards Angel. He wrapped his arms tightly around her still body, protecting her, and then, exhausted from loss of blood and just plain out weariness, he fainted.

"I don't have a need to be afraid of a German Shepherd," Val snarled, getting off the floor and stalking towards the crouched animal.

"You may not need to be afraid of him," A female voice snarled from one of the corners of the room. "But you can at least respect the others."

Val turned his head and noticed, immediately, that the other vampires were beginning to draw closer to him, in a tight circle, confused. He couldn't see anything, but he could hear the growls and snarls that were coming from the corners of the room, and he watched, awed, as wolves, huge wolves bigger than Crimson, began to circle the group of vampires. They were ugly creatures, crouched low to the ground, their eyes glowing in the darkness.

"They're just a pack of wolves," Val sneered, pushing one of his men away from him and stepping towards Crimson. "Lowly wolves. And I won't be at all surprised (Crimson, is it?) if you can transform."

"It's good you won't be surprised," one of the wolves growled, and immediately, all of them transformed, becoming human-like creatures that weren't as tall as the vampires but were certainly as dangerous. "Just as vampires crave blood, so do we."

"Werewolves!" Christopher shouted, bumping into Drake. "You brought us a pack of werewolves?"

"Don't worry. We side with the lord of the vampires," one of the wolves said, still in his dog form.

Crimson then sprang at one of the vampires, and a vicious brawl began. Teeth and claws flashed dangerously in the dim light as the vampires and werewolves had at each other. They fought with different fighting styles, the werewolves moving with more abrupt tactics, flinging themselves at the vampires in preference to stalking their prey, while the vampires moved with hunter instincts, taking their time and then plunging their teeth into an unprepared victim.

Crimson never once changed out of his dog form, and he never once spoke, convincing Val that the dog was just that, a dog. Extremely loyal to his master, and doomed because of it.

Val flung himself at Crimson, whose furry back was turned to him, and he very nearly stabbed the German Shepherd in the back, when a hand shot out and grabbed his fist. Val snarled and turned his head to see a woman with deep green eyes and long brown hair glaring into his face.

"You touch that dog, and I personally will draw out every last drop of blood in your body," she hissed, standing upright, her long hair falling about her shoulders, which were covered with a brown leather trench coat, the collar upturned.

"Well, if it isn't Sapphire," he smiled, his multi-colored eyes flashing with amusement. "Missed me so much, you had to come back for more, didn't you?" He asked, letting his fingers trip along her chin and then slip down to her collar. He pulled it aside, revealing deep bite marks on her shoulder. "I've certainly left my mark," he smiled, and then lunged for her neck.

Before his teeth could come into contact with her skin, a steel hand grabbed his, twisting it back viciously. Val snarled and then slammed his fist up at Adrian's face. Adrian stepped back, giving Val a chance to kick him hard in the knees, making him fall back. Eyes wide with wildness, Valiris spun around to face Sapphire, and he let out a hiss when she suddenly turned into her wolf form, a large, beautiful white wolf, and jumped up onto his back, her claws embedded in his shoulders. He smiled wickedly and then reached back and grabbed her throat with his muscular hands. She let out a yelp as he pulled her up and over his head and then threw her down hard to ground. She leaped up before he had a chance to pin her down, and then struck him hard across the face, drawing blood with her claws.

As the fight commenced, yelps and hisses filling the room, more and more wolves flooded the building, overcoming the vampires by sheer number. The vampires, seeing they were outnumbered, quickly began to disappear, taking to flight rather than fighting. They hadn't come prepared to meet with rivals that they hadn't seen in centuries. The fighting didn't stop until Val himself leaped out one of the windows, muttering threats as he did so, and then disappeared from view.

"Well, that was nasty," one of the wolves said, sitting down next to the unconscious Jaden and licking his bloody paws.

"Why did you come to our aid? Werewolves are our sworn enemies," Baron said, kneeling down next to Jaden and picking up his limp body.

"There are medics waiting on the roof to take them to help," Sapphire spoke, back in her human form, moving over to Adrian, who was lying on his back, blood dripping from his chin. She offered him her hand and then pulled him up. As soon as he was on his feet, she growled and put her hands to the back of his neck as she pressed her lips to the blood on his chin.

"Of course, this one will have to be cut loose," one of the wolves said, getting up from the floor and moving towards Angel. He leaped into the air, suddenly, and threw his huge body against the chains. They snapped off the wall, and Whisper quickly grabbed the girl and picked her up before she could hit the ground.

"This looks really bad. She's not breathing," he said worriedly, putting his head to her chest.

"Medics are on the roof," Sapphire reiterated, closing her eyes when Adrian cleaned up a cut on her hand.

"Jaden's not breathing either," Christopher said, bending over Jaden and picking up his limp body. "We'd better hurry. Do the medics know what happened in here?"

"No," one of the wolves said, changing into a muscular, blonde-haired man. "They were called here by the one who sent for us."

"Who was that?" Adrian demanded, moving his mouth from Sapphire's hand and walking towards the other vampires.

"That person desires to remain anonymous," the male werewolf said.

The battle was abruptly forgotten as Jaden and Angel were rushed into the medevac helicopters and were taken, by air ambulance, to the hospital in London. They were both immediately put in the emergency room, and the doctors began emergency procedures to rescue them. Jaden was little more than a bloodied mass of human when they lay him out to begin surgical procedure on him. So much had to be done to disinfect his wounds, close them up, and keep him unconscious while at the same time keeping him breathing.

Angel was by far the saddest, most amazing thing any of the doctors had ever seen. They couldn't comprehend how such a woman could have managed to have such a large, horrifying gash on her neck. She was bleeding profusely, and the doctors were worried terribly that they wouldn't be able to stop the bleeding and close up the wound. Val's feeding had greatly opened up Jaden's original incision, and the doctors were in full panic mode as they fought to stop the bleeding and close up the immense gash. They had no need to put her into a coma, as they had to do with Jaden. She was already in one. It took several efforts to get her breathing again, and her heartbeat was irregular. Her clothes were soaked in blood, and her shirt was completely in the way of the skillful hands that worked over her. The tattered, bloodstained fabric was quickly removed. The blood was cleaned off her skin once the cut was closed, and her chest was wrapped in bandages, so the doctors still had complete access to her neck while at the same time giving her some decency.

As soon as both she and Jaden were as cleaned up and sewn up as they were going to get, both were brought into an Intensive Care Unit, and they were immediately hooked up to more blood transfusions and oxygen masks. A doctor was to remain with them at all times, watching them carefully.

The good doctors were puzzled over every bit of what had happened. Angel's gash had been inhuman, and Jaden's cuts and broken body were horrific, to say the least. What had these two been through?

The physicians were also amazed to find that, through all the surgeries and emergency work, they couldn't disengage Jaden's arms from around Angel's waist. He held her tightly, and any attempt they made to separate the two only made him pull her closer. It was touching to see, and yet so bittersweet. No one in the hospital believed Angel had much hope of surviving. She had lost so much blood, and with all she had been through, she had blood clots throughout her body, though no one knew the extent of their damage.

One of the nurses told Sapphire, Adrian, and Whisper this news when they arrived, and downfallen, the vampires and werewolf left the hospital, looking for someplace to stay.

Angel's father arrived at the hospital as soon as possible, and he wailed when he saw what his beautiful daughter had gone through and was going through. She was ashen in color, her breathing was irregular, her heart rate slow, and she was hooked up to so many transfusions, so many wires and tubes, that it frightened the poor man. He refused to leave her, and he would have stayed at her side for as long as she was in the hospital, but Sapphire found him, and sympathizing with him, she encouraged him successfully to get out of the hospital. He would be informed as soon as Angel awoke, but for now, it would only pain him to see his daughter in such critical condition.


	22. Good to be Alive

**Thank you so much to everyone for all the awesome reviews so far! The story is almost finished, so hang in there! **

**Code Green**

**Good to be Alive**

A week later, Jaden began to stir. He had been in an induced coma, to keep him from feeling the excruciating pain his body was going through, but the doctors had come to the decision to let him wake up in a week's time, and so he did. He woke up slowly, coming out of his deep sleep as though he was coming out of a dream. He heard someone groan, in the distance, never realizing that it was he that made the sound, and he moved slowly, drugged heavily with medication, his body twitching as he moved. He couldn't feel anything, thanks to all the painkiller drugs he was on, and he moaned as he slowly began to open his eyes, sunlight flooding into his scarlet orbs. He wanted to cover his eyes with his hand, but his hands wouldn't move, and so he sighed and blinked a few times before opening his eyes all the way.

Immediately, he caught sight of a bouquet of white roses, sitting on a small table next to him. The second thing he realized was that his arms were trapped beneath something, and he turned his head to see a mass of tangled brunette waves. His eyes widened, and he struggled to sit up, his chest heaving violently as terror seized him. He was in a hospital. And the woman…the woman next to him…?

"Just relax, Jaden," a friendly voice said, and bile rose in Jaden's throat as he finally sat up and gazed down at Angel. Her face was turned away from him, for she was resting on her side, and there were tubes running from her beautiful mouth and nose so that he could barely see the bottom half of her face.

He panicked, eyes glancing to the monitors next to her, watching her heartbeat. It was steady, but that didn't satisfy him. He saw the white cloths that were wrapped around her upper body, making her look almost as though she was fit for burial. He could see the paleness in her face, the heaviness of her eyes, and the immense bandages that were wrapped around her neck. Her hands were clasped in front of her, as if in prayer, and she was curled up against him. He pulled his arms gently away from her body and then turned his eyes towards the nurse.

"I need to get feeling back into my body," he said quickly, eyes wide with terror. "I need to feel her breathing! I need to know she's alive!"

"She's alive, Jaden," the nurse said gently. "And you'll regain some feeling in a few hours. Lie still now. Your cuts need to heal."

"I don't care about my wounds," Jaden said worriedly. "She…she looks…"

"She's alive," the nurse said again.

"When are they bringing her out of the coma?"

"They've tried, many times."

"Oh God," Jaden whimpered, leaning up on his elbows to gaze down at Angel's still form. "Oh God, no."

The nurse didn't say anything, but quietly left the room, going to get the doctors and alert Tom that Jaden was awake.

Jaden stared down at Angel's face, so covered with medical equipment, and a sob came from the back of his throat.

"This is all my fault," he whispered, not allowing himself to look away. "I had to bite you, and it doesn't appear to have done any good. Oh, my sweet Angel. What have I done to you?"

He let himself lay back down and then buried his face in her long hair and let the tears come.

He refused to leave her. When the doctors came and suggested he be moved to a different bed, he completely refused, with a fury. They seemed to understand, and let him have his way.

Tom arrived a few hours after Jaden awoke, and he could only try to comfort the man, though he himself was worried to death. Jaden's men trickled in a little at a time, accompanied by some of the werewolves, and they didn't have much hope.

When the day arrived that Jaden could finally stand up, he got up slowly and carefully and immediately requested that the nurse bring him a pail or bowl of hot soapy water and a couple of towels. The nurse obeyed without question, and she watched curiously as Jaden stumbled towards Angel's side of the bed and then gently, with such softness to his touch, turned her body so that she was facing where he once had been. He then knelt down weakly on the floor and proceeded to wash her hair. He never said a word, but his loyalty brought tears to the nurse's eyes, and she left the room, giving Jaden and Angel the privacy she felt they deserved.

He then began to speak to his love, even though she couldn't hear him, saying the sweetest words, the most admiring sentences and desires.

"We'll get you better," he whispered, running her damp hair through his fingers. "I promise you, we will."

When night arrived again, without a word to the nurses, he crawled back onto the bed next to Angel and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close, feeling her heartbeat against his chest. He moved her head gently, so that her forehead was pressed against his neck, and then closed his eyes, whispered, "I love you," and fell asleep.

And so, day after day, Jaden refused to leave Angel. He watched over her and learned, from the doctors, how to feed her with the help of the tubes. The only thing he didn't do for her was change the bandages that covered her upper body, or do anything else that he knew would embarrass her later. He became closer to Tom, in this time, and he always had visitors. His men were loyal to him, as he was loyal to Angel, and they brought him gifts.

He made new discoveries over each passing day. The thing that shocked him the most, was that now, he had a heartbeat. The doctors checked it regularly, affirming that it was, indeed, there. There was also his sudden lack of interest in blood. If the doctors brought him any meat that was even slightly bloody, he felt sick. The realization hit him, three weeks after he awoke, as to what had really happened. His thoughts had been correct, and his assumptions about Angel's powers had been accurate.

She _had_ destroyed the vampires, or, rather, was in the process of doing so. The prophecy hadn't meant she would _kill_ them. Instead, it had meant that the vampires would become extinct, and in their stead, would remain normal humans. The vampires and werewolves _were_ dying, and instead, new humans, mortal creatures, were being born.

Jaden was asleep when, five weeks after the accident, Angel stirred. It wasn't a large movement, just the tiniest shrug of her shoulder accompanied with a ghost of a sigh, but it was movement. Jaden felt it against his chest, and he immediately woke up and called for the doctors. He didn't care what time of night it was. He was so overjoyed, by her faint motion, by the evidence of life, that he could have awoken the whole hospital for this occasion.

The following morning brought with it the happiest moment of Jaden's life. The doctors finally managed to revive Angel.

She let out a long sigh and then squirmed slightly, as though awakening from a blissful, sweet dream. Her eyelids fluttered, and then her eyes opened completely. She squinted hard, trying to focus her previously dark sight to the light, and then confusion appeared on her face. She turned her head, catching sight of the monitors, and then panicked, her heart rate and pulse accelerating tremendously.

_"Where am I? What happened? I can't remember coming here!"_

She felt a hand, soft and gentle, trace across her cheek, and then turned her head to see where it had come from. Her eyes filled with tears when she saw Jaden leaning up on one elbow next to her, his fingertips stroking the side of her cheek and then coming to rest on her hair. Tears were coursing down his cheeks, landing on her bare shoulder, making her heart ache.

Everything came back to her at a terrifying speed. Adrian grabbing her and disappearing with her. Riding that large black horse through the woods. The dark castle. Pretending to be a vampire. Val's smirk. The terror in Jaden's eyes. His teeth pressing against her neck, puncturing her. The desperate, dying kisses. Jaden whispering her name one last time as she felt into unconsciousness.

"Jaden," she breathed, gasping as she spoke for the first time in months.

She didn't see the other vampires, her father, the doctors, the nurses, and the werewolves gathered in the room. All she saw was Jaden's relieved, wet eyes. Her eyes drifted to his lips, and she choked back a sob as she realized she wouldn't be able to move towards him, realized that she wasn't yet ready to give him a true kiss.

"Oh my Angel, you're alive," he whispered and then placed one hand on either side of her face. Her lips parted as he lowered himself towards her and then pressed his lips softly to their special place, the delicate corner of her mouth.

A sob rose from the back of her throat as she closed her eyes and savored that simple touch. She was alive, and he was here, holding her, loving her. He pulled back slightly, wanting to give her air, but she didn't want air. She wanted him, his comforting touch, to feel and know that he was truly alive; they were both alive and together.

He realized her wants and smiled softly before he lowered his nose to hers, gazing straight into her eyes, right into her heart. He was hungry. Not in a vampire sort of way, but in a much stronger, deeper way. He had been starved while she was unconscious, dying for her touch, for her love, and now she was awake again.

He pressed a searing kiss to the side of her lips, letting his mouth move passionately against her, letting his hands move from her face to her hair. He clutched her brunette tresses with everything he was worth and kissed her deeply. Their breathing quickened, their emotions heightened, and they forgot where they were and what had happened. The past didn't matter now. All that mattered was the present, the undying need for each other, the fervor they both needed.

"Oh Jaden, I thought I lost you!" Angel cried as he touched her, moving her shaking hands to his shoulders.

"I'm here. I told you I always would be," he whispered, his tears flowing against hers.

"I know! I just didn't believe you!" she gasped, taking in a deep breath before they became lost again, her hands rubbing his back as he kissed her.

"There's something I think you should know," Jaden smiled against her skin, their breaths intermingling.

She didn't speak, but kept kissing his cheek as he took one of her hands and drew it gently to his chest. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he pressed her hand to his skin.

And then she felt it. There, beating steadily beneath her hand, was his heart. Her eyes widened, brimming over with tears.

"Jay," she gasped. "Ghost! You do have a heart!"

"Do you always begin conversations this way?" he grinned and then growled as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her again, restraining himself greatly to keep his lips off of hers.

"Well," Dorian chuckled. "Maybe we should just leave."

Angel gasped and turned her head to see him and the others standing next to the bed.

"Dad!" she cried, and Jaden chuckled as he pulled away from her, letting her father leap to her side and wrap his arms violently around her.

They both sobbed as she held Tom as close to her as she possibly could.

"Oh, my poor baby," Tom whispered against her hear, "I thought I had lost you!"

"Jaden always keeps me safe," she smiled through her tears.

"We're going to get you out of here as soon as possible," Sapphire said, wrapping her arm through Adrian's.

"Who are you?" Angel asked, gazing up at the beautiful woman.

"Sapphire, the leader of the werewolves," Adrian said, putting a kiss on Sapphire's cheek.

"And Adrian's girl," Bartholomew added.

"I…I'm afraid I missed a great battle," Angel said.

"Crimson had a major part in it," Drake said.

"Crimson?" Angel asked. "Please tell me what happened!"

And so they retold the battle to her, leaving out the more brutal details. She was terrorized to learn that Val was still alive, as were many of his men, but Whisper quickly soothed some of those fears.

"Just as we and the werewolves are slowly becoming human, so are Val and his men," he smiled reassuringly. "You needn't fear. When next you see him, if you ever see him again, he'll be mostly human, if not all human. You'll just have to call the police, as you would for any other criminal."

"No. She'll call for me," Jaden said, taking her hand in his and kissing her palm.

Night arrived again, and the last one to leave the room was Tom. He kissed his daughter's forehead one more time, squeezed her gently, and then turned to leave the room.

"Wait Dad!" Angel called gently, and he turned to face her.

"Yes, Sweetheart?"

"You're going to leave me alone with Jaden?" she asked, blushing.

"He has been the best protector you could ever have, even if he was a vampire," Tom smiled. "I trust him with my life. I'll see you in the morning, my darling. The last few weeks have taken their toll on me, and I need to sleep. I wouldn't sleep well here."

"I love you, Dad," Angel smiled.

"I love you too," Tom smiled back and then left the room, closing the door behind him.

Angel turned her head to see Jaden sitting on a chair next to the bed, a blanket already covering his lap.

"I won't trouble you," he said quietly, watching a nurse come in, nod to him, and then leave some liquids for Angel to take.

"I'm afraid that when I fall asleep, I'll wake up to find you aren't really here," Angel said quietly.

His eyebrow arched, and he moved over to the bed and sat down on what used to be his side of it.

"Are you desiring the closeness of a vampire?" he asked, his fangs showing slightly as he smiled.

"Not necessarily the closeness," Angel whispered. "Just his warmth, to make sure that he's really alive."

Jaden nodded and then lay down next to her.

"I held you every night," he said, cuddling up closer to her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I know," she said quietly, her eyes closing as she put her hands over his. "It's good to be alive, Jaden."

He kissed her ear and then drifted into sleep, holding her close. She fell asleep shortly after he did, comforted to know that he really was here and he wouldn't be leaving her anytime soon.


	23. I'll Be There For You

**I'll Be There for You**

The following day, Angel's necklaces were returned to her, and she was surprised to find that they had changed considerably since last time she had seen them. There were no longer two necklaces. It seemed Angel's diamond and Ghost's medallion had merged somehow to become one piece. It was a black stone, large, in the shape of a teardrop, and surrounding it were tiny, shimmering diamonds. In the center of the black stone was a red mark.

"What happened?" Angel asked, not looking at her breakfast as she held this new necklace in her hand.

"It seems your blood caused the light and darkness to come together. Not entirely yet, but soon, very soon, Angel, the vampires will be defeated completely. I'm guessing the whole black gem will turn red, like my ruby. Right now, myself and the other vampires and werewolves are only noticing small differences, like a heartbeat," Jaden said, closing his hand over the necklace. "Now eat."

"Jaden, this must mean that you aren't immortal anymore," Angel said, stroking the gem gently as she attempted to eat some of her food.

"Yes," he said gently, overjoyed to see her eating. "We now have a choice on what eternity we wish to have."

"And…"

Angel stopped and gazed into his eyes, seeing a joy there, a joy she had never seen before.

"Jaden…" she breathed, her eyes widening at his joy and at his slightly damp hair.

"I'm sorry to have left you when you were asleep this morning," he smiled gently, brushing some of her hair out of her face. "But I went down to the hospital chapel."

She grabbed hold of his hand and held it tightly, pure, joyous tears in her eyes.

"I became a Christian," he nodded, affirming her thoughts. "So did the others. Our lives are no longer toys. With every passing day, we become more human, and we want to ensure, before our time on this earth runs out, that we're going to heaven."

A tear trickled down her cheek as he put his hand to her face and touched her forehead with his own.

"I'm so proud of you," she whispered, gazing into his face. "So terribly proud, Jaden."

"We're going to get you home soon," he said gently. "And then we're going to put all this vampire nonsense behind us. There is one thing I must do first, however, before we leave."

"What is that?" she asked, smiling.

"I must beg your forgiveness."

He pulled away from her and knelt next to her hospital bed, her hands clutched in his.

"As Ghost, I was ruthless. I was cold and cruel, harsh and oppressive. There were things I wanted from you that were evil and, yes, pleasurable, but I had no right to take anything from you. I delighted in tormenting you, in holding you close, and I was wrong, so terribly, terribly wrong. I thought nothing, aside from your blood, could satiate my thirst. I was wrong. Your love could satisfy me more than all the blood in the world. There are still many problems I must work out, many things about my vampire instincts that have yet to disappear, but please, Angel, I beg you for your forgiveness."

"You most certainly have it, Jaden. I give it to you freely," she said, moving one of her hands to a stray lock of hair on his forehead. "I'm so glad you accepted Christ, so glad you decided to choose the way of salvation."

"When I finally die, I'll not only be able to spend an eternity with the heavenly Father and Christ, but I'll be able to spend an eternity with you," he said, standing up and then bending over to kiss her forehead. "Thank you for your forgiveness. You truly are an angel."

One week later, Jaden carried Angel out of the hospital, for she was still too weak to walk on her own, and brought her to an awaiting cab. From there, they went to the airport, and then they took a long flight home. They had asked many questions, trying to learn who had provided the funds for their hospital stay and the flight back home, but the doctors had told them that that information was to be kept confidential, and so, not a care in the world, Jaden and Angel arrived in New York. They took a taxi to Angel's home, where her father had gone on ahead of time to prepare.

When they arrived at the house, and Jaden carried Angel out of the taxi, they found a huge "Welcome Home" sign on the front porch. Angel and Jaden exchanged curious looks and then went into the house to find Tom, Forrest, Crystal, Jaden's men, Sapphire and the werewolves, and several friend police officers waiting. They all greeted Angel and Jaden warmly, and then they all enjoyed a great feast.

When the delicious meal was over, and night had fallen, Jaden carried Angel up to her room, Tom staying downstairs to give them some privacy.

"It's so good to be home," Angel sighed as he placed her gently on her bed.

"You need to get changed and get some sleep," he said quietly, moving his arms away from her and then taking hold of the pajamas at the food of her bed. "Your dad had everything prepared."

He handed her clothes to her, and she sighed tiredly.

"I think, Jaden, for one more night, I'll sleep in the clothes Sapphire brought me," she said, gazing down at her white T-shirt and blue jeans. "I'm too tired to get changed. It's been a long day."

"It has," he nodded, lifting up her blankets and pulling them up to cover her body. He tucked the covers gently around her and leaned down, looking into her eyes and studying her smoky orbs deeply. "If you need me, I'll be downstairs. Just call."

"Will your eyes still be scarlet after all the change is over?" Angel asked, nearly drowning in his gaze.

"They were always scarlet," he smiled, his fangs gleaming just for a moment. "The wonders of modern technology."

"And you were really blind?"

"I was," he nodded. "When I was with you and I was pretending to be a human, I couldn't see a thing. But as Ghost, and at night, I could see better than any human."

"But what about when I saw you and Ghost at the same time, like at the grave yard?"

"My loyal men disguised themselves as me."

"I was so afraid, when I learned who you were, that I would lose you forever," Angel whispered, letting her eyes drift closed.

"I'll never leave you," he said tenderly and then kissed her forehead before he left the room.

Tom and Jaden looked up from the breakfast table when Angel walked down the next morning, slowly, but walking nonetheless. Tom jumped to his feet to assist his daughter, and she took his hand gratefully and let him lead her over to the table.

"So what's on the agenda for today?" she asked pleasantly, sitting across from Jaden and looking up at her father.

"You're just going to relax," Tom said smoothly, sitting down next to her and passing her a plate of eggs. "You haven't slept in this late since your mother was alive."

"I was so comfortable," Angel smiled.

"I thought you might like to assist me with my new job today," Jaden said, folding his hands on the table and smiling at her.

"Your new job?" she asked.

"I didn't tell you last night, but somehow one of the Broadway theaters heard that I was here, and they called up, wanting me to perform for them," Jaden nodded. "They were rather impressed with our play for Julliard, and they're willing to hire me for the lead role in 'The Music Man.'"

"That's wonderful, Jay!" Angel exclaimed. "You'll love that!"

"I'd love it better if you'd rehearse with me," Jaden said.

"The meadow is absolutely beautiful now," Tom said. "Perhaps you should relax there?"

"That would be wonderful. All that fresh air is just too beautiful to stay away from," Angel said.

"After brunch, then," Jaden said, handing her a pitcher of orange juice.

The afternoon found Angel and Jaden walking steadily through the meadow, Angel leaning on Jaden's arm to support herself. It was a hot day, one of the hottest days the New York summer had yet had, but there was a pleasant breeze rushing through, catching the tall grass, making it brush against the man and woman, and rustling through their blonde and brunette strands, cooling them.

"So you're playing Prof. Harold Hill," Angel said, stopping in the middle of the field and turning to face Jaden. "You used to watch that play all the time. Show me what you have."

He didn't move, but stood there quietly, his eyes clearly admiring her. She blushed under his gaze and looked down.

"Somehow I don't remember a part like that in the movie," she said quietly.

He chuckled and shook his head.

"Sorry. All right, how about 'Marian the Librarian.' I'll practice that part."

"Good. I won't have to move much," Angel smiled, watching him bow elegantly and then begin to sing.

"Mar….ian.

Madam librar…ian."

He began to sing and dance about her, letting his voice sound just as he believed Prof. Hill's voice would have, singing each word perfectly, letting his voice vibrate where it was supposed to and linger where it was supposed to. She laughed when he put his hands on her waist and swayed her a bit, still singing, and then released her and twirled about her. He raised his arm into the air, pretending to lean it on something, and then fall over.

She couldn't stop laughing as he fell into the grass and then sat up on his elbows, finishing out the song.

"You are so good," she chuckled, watching him stand back up. "You're such a dancer."

"Yes, vampires did have a tendency to be rather good at that," Jaden sighed, dusting the dirt off his pants. "A flower for you?" he asked, holding out a wild daisy to her.

"Thank you, sir," she smiled, taking it and nodding her head graciously. "Were you vampires trained to dance, or did it come naturally?"

"Most of the dances we were trained for," Jaden said, taking her hand and leading her through the meadow, just enjoying the beauty that surrounded them. "But one of them came naturally."

"The 'Dance of Death,' I believe it was," Angel nodded.

"You know about that one?" Jaden asked, stopping and turning to face her.

"Valiris told me about it and attempted to teach me a couple of the more modest steps," Angel said.

"Modest," Jaden snorted. "That man doesn't know the meaning of the word."

"Is it really so terrible?"

He chuckled, his eyes brightening.

"Darling, it's the closest contact, most romantic, and most alluring dance there's ever been. Ghost would have had no qualms teaching it to you, had you asked him. I, on the other hand, am opposed to the idea."

"What would you do all night long, as Ghost?" Angel asked, her legs giving way, making her sit down in the grass.

He sat down across from her, cross-legged, and shrugged his shoulders.

"I'd stay on the rooftops and watch out for my men. Dorian had his young lady he liked to be with, and I was supposed to hold him accountable."

"Accountable?" Angel asked, an eyebrow arched.

"Yes. If I saw him giving her that look, that vampire look that usually means bloodshed, I was to stop him. Dorian is a great man. Never once did I have to intervene. Same with the others, though none of them had a girl. Adrian, however, has always had Sapphire. Unfortunately, because she was a werewolf and he a vampire, their destinies were on separate paths. Now that they're both turning into humans, there is going to be some fireworks."

As if on cue, a howl suddenly erupted in the air, and Jaden and Angel sat up taller to see wolves, a whole pack of them, bounding through the tall grass, Crimson in their midst, yelping happily at the lead white wolf. She didn't mind his yapping, but trotted happily along, occasionally jumping over a few patches of taller grass, showing how perfectly agile her canine form was.

The wolves stopped upon getting closer to Angel and Jaden, and they quickly changed form.

"There you are," Sapphire said cheerfully. "We thought we'd be in our wolf forms for as long as we possibly can before we can't turn into wolves anymore. I'll kind of miss being that white wolf."

"What brings you here, friends?" Jaden asked, looking up at the other men and women that made up her pack of fifteen.

"News," Sapphire said, watching Crimson trot over to Jaden and whine happily when his owner scratched him in between his ears. "We know where Val is, or, at least, we have a good idea."

"Where?" Angel gasped immediately.

"In the city," Sapphire answered. "We can only assume he's looking for the both of you."

"What does he want?" Jaden asked sharply, putting his hand protectively over Angel's.

"We aren't sure," Sapphire replied. "All we know is that he's somewhere in New York now. Just be careful."

"We certainly will be," Jaden nodded.

"Ah, this weather is so wonderful! Sorry to disturb it for you. We're off!" Sapphire called, and with a yelp, she transformed back into a wolf, and she and her pack disappeared from sight.

"It's okay," Jaden said, squeezing Angel's hand after they had left, his other hand still patting Crimson's head. "It's okay."

Angel didn't answer, for a fear had suddenly seized her, and she didn't wish to ruin the day by explaining it to him.

Angel had difficulty falling asleep that night. Images of Val, at his vampire worst, came to her mind. She remembered him as the kind, distinguished gentleman she had first met, and the chill that had run through her body as they had danced. But oh, he had been so cruel. The last thought that drifted into her mind, as she fell asleep, was the kiss he had forced on her, that passionate, deadly, evil kiss.

And those last thoughts affected her dreams.

_She was running, as fast as she could, her heart pounding in her chest as she raced through the darkness, holding Jaden's hand tightly. He couldn't see, once again blind, but he kept up with her. Like some scene out of a horror flick, she and Jaden both kept looking back into the shadows as they ran, so terrified that they didn't see the hole in the ground. Angel let out a loud gasp as she dropped into the hole. She screamed Jaden's name as her hand slid out of his and she fell into the hole._

_ She landed hard on a cold floor and then gasped, hearing her own breath echoing around her. There was suddenly a screech, and she nearly screamed when a huge group of bats suddenly flung themselves at her, swirling around her quickly, all of them screeching, their leathery wings brushing against her. Like Bruce Wayne in "Batman Begins," she stood up, her eyes closed, and let them rush about her, in a thick, black mist._

_ The next thing she knew, she was dressed entirely in black, in a tight dress that had a long train and an upturned, stiff collar. Her long hair was pulled up, with only a few strands resting against her face. Her smoky gray eyes were shining radiantly, glowing with…danger? But no! She couldn't be… Never!_

_ The new Angel turned when she heard something move behind her. She took a step back when the shadows parted and Val entered the small cavern, his hood back and his cloak rustling in an unfelt wind. She didn't move as he approached her, and the fire in her eyes was mirrored by the same light in his own._

The sleeping Angel, watching this dream, stirred restlessly, crying out to her dream as the scene continued to play.

_Not a word was spoken as Val approached Angel, and she didn't move at all as he put a hand to her cheek and moved closer to her. She didn't fight, but rather seemed to welcome him, a cruel smile on her deep red lips. He then enveloped her in his arms and pressed his mouth angrily to hers, and she returned his twisted affection. Bats swirled around them as she put her hands behind his neck, pulling him closer, both of them almost attacking each other with their kisses._

"Help!" Angel cried out in her sleep. "Jaden! Jaden!"

"I'm here," a voice spoke into her mind, and a hand touched her cheek.

Angel sat up abruptly, blood rushing to her head with the quick motion. She was covered in sweat and was gasping viciously, terrified of what she had just seen.

"Shh…" Jaden soothed, putting his hand to her hair. "Easy, Angel. What happened?"

"I had a nightmare!" she cried, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing him tightly. "It was awful! Val was in it…and I had submitted to him! And I was a vampire! Jaden, I was a vampire!"

"It was just a dream. The vampires are dying, Angel, and there's nothing now that can stop that," Jaden said quietly.

"Valiris is still alive," Angel said, pulling back when she had caught her breath. "He's going to find me, eventually."

"We'll keep him from doing that as long as we can. He won't be able to find you until he's fully human," Jaden said. "Now, you need to get some sleep."

"Are you going into the city tomorrow?" Angel asked, lying back down.

"Yes."

"Can I come? I want to go to the cathedral you once went to."

"That would be a fairly safe place. There's always someone there," Jaden said thoughtfully. "I suppose so. Just ask your dad."

"Okay," Angel nodded and then let her eyes close. "Jay," she said, letting out another sigh. "Would you stay here? Please?"

"Yes," he nodded, taking her hand in his and then lying down on the floor. "I'll be here if you need me."


	24. Facing Fate

**Facing Fate **

Tom accompanied Angel to the cathedral the next day, bringing Crimson along with them. He brought Angel to the cathedral while Jaden went to Broadway to begin rehearsals for "The Music Man." Crimson was, of course, not permitted in the cathedral, and so Angel went in alone while her dad and the German Shepherd stayed in the outside garden.

She walked to the front of the auditorium and then sat down in a pew, gazing up at the great cross that was behind the stage.

"God," she prayed, moving a strand of her hair out of her face. "There's so much I'm thankful for. Thank You for my life. Thank You for hope. And God, thank You so, so much for Jaden…"

Her voice trailed off as she began to cry, and she slipped off the pew and knelt on her knees.

"Thank You for saving him," she breathed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Thank You for his salvation. Oh Lord, I couldn't be happier. Thank You so, so much for making everything work out. I just can't come up with the right words to thank You."

"Sometimes words aren't needed," a soothing voice spoke from her side, and before she could stand up, a pair of hands had found her shoulders and were moving slowly down to her bare arms.

She opened her mouth to scream, but one of the hands moved abruptly to her mouth, and she stood up violently, eyes widening as the man behind her also stood up, moving with her to keep her mouth covered.

"Hello Angel," Val's voice whispered in her ear as he pressed himself against her. "Were you hoping to see me again?"

She struggled against him, images of last night's dream flooding her mind, but he wouldn't let her move. Instead, he pressed his mouth against her neck, in a threatening gesture, and spoke to her quietly.

"I want you dead. Nothing could please me more than your death. You succeeded in destroying us, yes, but while I still have power, I will kill you. I don't intend to kill you quickly, though, for I also have some reason to exact revenge upon Ghost."

He spun her swiftly, so she collapsed against his chest and gazed up into his face, her skin ashen and complete terror in her eyes.

"With how hard he's fought for you, it'd only be right if I dashed some of his hopes and stole some of his joy," Val hissed and then moved his hand away from her mouth.

She knew what he was going to do, and screamed, ducking her head quickly as he attempted to kiss her. She didn't let her screams stop as she brought her nails up to his neck and let them run down his ashen skin, drawing blood. He screamed, wildly, and brought his hand crashing against her face. She cried out, falling back and nearly falling over the pew, but her mind was working fast, and she used his strike as an opportunity to turn and begin running.

She ran as fast as she could, finding a side door near the head of the auditorium, and she burst through the door, still screaming, and raced up a flight of stairs. The front doors were too far away for her to get to, but from the roof of the building, she could scream all she wanted and all of New York City would be able to hear her, including her dad outside.

The stairs seemed horrifically long as she jumped up them two at a time. She never heard anyone following her, but her own heartbeat would have blocked out any other sounds. Gasps came from her mouth as she reached the roof door and then flung it open, surging out onto the roof. She glanced about her, gazing at the old stone railings and then running over to one of them.

"Help!" she cried out, feeling dizzy from her fast run as she leaned slightly over the wall. "Dad! Help!"

A cold hand slipped up her back, against her shirt, and then grabbed hold of the back of her neck, squeezing her so hard, she choked. Her head tilted back as she tried desperately to get oxygen in her airway, and she shivered when she felt icy fingertips stroking her neck.

She couldn't scream, with the way he was holding the back of her neck, and he turned her so she could face him. Her eyes, wide from the lack of air, pleaded with his icy blue and deep brown ones for mercy.

"Please, Val," she mouthed voicelessly. "Don't do this to me."

His eyes flickered; ever so slightly, and then the coldness was replaced by complete wickedness, complete inhumanity. She gasped fearfully as he shoved his lips against her throat, sending heat coursing through her with each stroke of his lips. She tried to cry, tried to scream, but no sound would come out. She pushed her hands against his chest, trying to make him move, terrorized out of her mind, yet so warm and comfortable. Her small hands did nothing to move him, and he smirked against her skin as he moved his mouth up her neck to her chin. He could feel her body heaving from her heavy breathing as she tried to push him away, tried to resist, but she was fast failing.

His lips touched the corner of her mouth, and she began fighting harder, trying to clear her mind. She recalled how her ring had worked before, and she moved her hand to his neck, in almost a submissive gesture, before she curled up her fingers and let her ring catch his skin.

He slapped her, hard, sending her falling, in great pain, to the floor. She cried out and started to scramble back, seeing the fire in his eyes. He smiled, seeing her helpless position, his fangs glistening in the dimming light, for it was beginning to rain. Her eyes widened at his expression, and she began to clamber back to her feet, but he was too fast.

Almost instantly, his hands were pushed roughly against her shoulders, his body trapping her from going anywhere. She screamed as loudly as she possibly could, using her hands to fight him, bringing her nails to his face and then pounding hard against his throat. She was able to fight only for a moment, his hands grabbing for hers, and then she cried when his hands grabbed her viciously, crushing her small hands in his as he slammed them down against the ground, pinning them in place, and then lowered his mouth to her shoulder. She sobbed, still trying to scream, though her throat was hoarse, as his mouth moved viciously against her skin and then traced an invisible line up to her chin and then her lower lip.

He was ruthless. This was anger pouring out against Ghost, not the vampire's girl. Ghost had messed with Val's plans too often, and this girl had been involved. Valiris considered it his duty to tarnish the girl as much as he could; leaving her with nothing left to give to the man she loved. He let his lips move angrily against Angel's lower lip before he covered her mouth, open from screaming, with his own. She choked as he deepened his kiss, ignoring the tears streaming down her pale cheeks, ignoring her struggling against him, trying with every last ounce of her strength to get him off.

Angel was terrorized beyond explanation. If given a few more minutes, she would faint. She couldn't get anywhere fighting against him, and his mouth hurt against hers. She gazed up at the sky, praying with all her heart for help, and then a motion from the corner of her eye made her turn her head slightly.

There, standing on a rooftop across the way from the cathedral, was Crimson. To her shock, the large dog looked at her deeply, then raised his face towards the sky, and opened his mouth wide, showing all his fangs, and howled. It was a long, mournful, frightening howl, echoed only by thunder. But then, Angel heard something from the stairway, something akin to heavy feet pounding up the steps towards the closed door.

Val heard the noise too, and lifted himself off of her only enough to turn his head. He saw Crimson standing on the roof, and watched, eyes burning, as the dog backed up and out of sight.

Angel struggled again, but he held her hands down and kept her body down with his weight. He turned his attention back to her, but before he could move to harm her again, a sound in the air caused him to turn his head.

There, nearly flying across the expanse in between the two buildings, was Crimson. He snarled, his teeth bared, each fang shining lethally, and his ears pinned back, making him look like some monster out of a horror flick. Angel screamed as the dog landed hard on the cathedral roof, and then, with one magnificent bound, flung his full weight against Val's body.

With a wild snarl, Val was flipped off Angel, and before he knew it, he was pinned underneath the massive animal, the dog's snout right in his face, his teeth bared ferociously against the vampire.

There was a large pounding sound against the roof door, and then wolves came pouring onto the roof.

"Get up!" the lead wolf, a magnificent, white one, cried to Angel. "Don't just stay there! Get up!"

The wolf leaped at Angel, grabbed the shocked girl by her shirtsleeve, and began to drag her towards the stairs. The animal stopped short when she saw cloaked figures blocking the escape route, all armed with daggers. One of them slammed the door shut, and Angel cried out as the white wolf dragged her towards one of the walls.

"Do everything you can to stay out of this!" the wolf ordered and then sprang at one of the enemy vampires.

Angel couldn't breathe. She was hyperventilating, and she had to close her eyes to get enough oxygen in her body. This wasn't happening. She hadn't almost been physically harmed, the wolves weren't on the roof, and Val and his vampires weren't about to cause a bloody battle. It just couldn't happen.

Val grabbed Crimson by the throat and bared his own teeth before he moved to sink them into the dog's neck. Before he could, a wolf, black, and definitely the largest out of the pack, bit down hard on his wrist, making Val cry out in pain and slap Crimson off his body. The bleeding vampire leaped to his feet, drew his dagger, and then brought it down towards his attacker. The white wolf, which he knew was the leader, leaped onto his back, sinking her teeth into his shoulder.

That was the last straw for Valiris. He knocked the white wolf off, bringing his foot down hard on her foot once she landed. She yelped in pain as he broke the bones in her paw. She whimpered and then moved away, limping terribly, her one paw held out to the side as she stepped. The black wolf snarled at Val, leaping up to bite hard on his throat, but Val thrust his dagger towards the wolf's face, catching him hard across the ear.

It seemed then that the whole pack lunged at Val, and all of Val's men rushed to protect him. There was a mass of daggers, fangs, claws, fur, and cloaks as the vampires and werewolves began a vicious battle, not seeking just to protect themselves this time, but to kill.

Angel wanted desperately to help, but there was nothing she could do. The vampires moved too quickly for her to even try to keep up, and the wolves were in such a fury, they no doubt would have unintentionally attacked her in their craze. She curled up into a ball, gesturing for the white wolf to come towards her. The wolf looked away, however, her keen eyes coming to rest on Val, and then, despite her injury, she lunged for the vampire, bounding gracefully off the ground and flinging herself at his throat.

Val saw her coming. He thrust one of the wolves off his back, stabbing back to get the dog in his thigh, and then grabbed hold of the white wolf's throat, stopping her mid-flight.

"I know we've had some shortcomings," he hissed, his eyes piercing into the wolf's, "but this is one time I will not let you interfere."

He flicked his wrist gracefully, and the wolf went hurdling over the side of the wall.

"No!" Angel screamed, leaping to her feet and flinging herself to the wall. To her absolute amazement, she reached her hand out and grabbed the wolf by the tail, just as she was beginning to fall.

The dog was so heavy, she nearly pulled Angel over the side of the wall along with her.

"Oh my goodness!" Angel cried as the dog began to scramble, her hard paws rushing against the wall of the cathedral, trying to scramble back up. "You're so heavy!"

"And you have just about signed your own death warrant," a cruel voice hissed in her ear as cold, strong hands grabbed hers.

"No!" Angel cried. "Don't let her fall!"

"You don't even know what she is," Val sneered, pulling her hands back, nearly making her let go of the wolf's tail.

"A wolf that can talk! A werewolf! And as a werewolf, she's your worst enemy!" Angel shouted, clinging to Sapphire's tail with all her worth.

"That's right," Val smiled, his incisors showing, and then made her let go of the wolf.

"Sapphire!" A cry echoed across the roof, and Angel watched as, almost in slow motion, Adrian raced to the wall, reached down, and grabbed hold of the wolf. He pulled her up with one fast tug, and Sapphire the wolf flew over the wall and crashed against him, knocking him down. "Angel, Ghost is here!" Adrian gasped, gazing up at the wolf's face as it transformed, showing the face of his beloved Sapphire.

"Ghost is here?" Angel breathed, and then looked up into Val's face. "You have attempted to assault me so many times now, I've lost count. But I won't let you harm my body, or my soul. Get your blood strewn hands off me!"

She let out an animal-like cry and then kicked up, catching Val in his lower stomach. He let out a rush of air and then snarled when she brought her fist up hard, catching him across the eye and nose. Angel didn't stop there. She began to pound her fists against him, their faces illuminated by the lightning as their bodies became drenched with rain. He snapped at her, his teeth barely missing her skin, and then grabbed her hard by her neck. She continued fighting, bringing her nails against his cheek and then grabbing him hard by his shirt and shoving him away. He hit one of the walls and fell, landing on his knees.

Angel stepped back, catching her breath, and watched as he began to get slowly to his feet. He wasn't wounded; he was just gathering together all his fury. He looked up at her, his multi-colored eyes transforming almost into a blood red color and glowing. His hands were clenched at his sides, and his hair was rustled wildly from the wind. He began to walk slowly towards Angel, looking nothing short of a lion stalking his prey.

Cold terror gripped Angel's heart, and she backed up, her body slamming against one of the walls.

Faster than a race car, Val's hand was against her bare stomach, having pushed the fabric of her shirt up slightly when he grabbed her. His other hand went to the sheath at his side and drew his bloody dagger.

Angel screamed as he raised the dagger to strike, and time seemed to come to a stand still as a muscular, pale hand reached out and grabbed hold of the blade as Val lowered it. The blade cut deep into the flesh of Angel's rescuer, but he didn't make a sound. Instead, he wrapped his bleeding hand around the dagger and ripped it out of Val's hand.

"Your fight isn't with the innocent, Valiris," Ghost spoke, his eyes glowing from beneath his hood.

Val smiled wickedly and turned to face Ghost.

Then they attacked. They flung themselves at each other, grappling with fists, claws, and teeth. Blood began to spew from mouths and immense gashes, but they didn't stop fighting. With each move, another bruise or cut appeared. Scratches lined the men's bodies, their clothes ripped and tattered, their hair matted and bloodied, and their breathing became labored and rushed. Both men made horrifying noises, screams, shouts, and hisses, completely inhuman and uncontrolled.

The other werewolves and vampires pulled back, wisely staying out of the way. They were all wounded, Ghost's men having appeared with Adrian and having immediately begun fighting. The werewolves were licking their wounds, while the vampires were drinking theirs. Adrian had torn fabric from his cloak and was wrapping it around Sapphire's hand, wincing every time she yelped in pain.

Others scrambled to get out of Ghost and Valiris' way as they fought. Many looked away as blood gushed from charred and cut skin. Val managed to bite down, hard, on Jaden's neck, trying to drink the life out of him. Jaden howled and spun, bringing his hand slamming against Val's face. Before he could do anything else, Val again drew his dagger and stabbed Ghost deep in the stomach, making the man suddenly choke on blood and stumble back.

"No!" Angel screamed, watching Jaden slam back against one of the walls and then slump to the ground, curling up in a ball and moaning in agony.

"You always were a weakling," Val said, standing tall, triumphantly, as he thrust his dagger back into its sheath. He licked the blood away from his lips and then signaled to his men.

Immediately, they left the roof, leaving the werewolves and Jaden's men to gaze at their leader in stunned silence.

Angel was the only one who moved. She ran to Jaden, collapsing next to him, grabbing his hands and shoving them away from his exposed stomach. What she saw was absolutely disgusting, but she was too shocked to throw up.

"Jaden!" she breathed, putting her hands to his face. "Jaden!"

"I can still hear you," he spoke slowly. "Angel, calm down for a minute, and go look over the wall."

"What?" she cried.

"See if…the plan…worked."

Angel didn't know what he was talking about, but she immediately rushed to the wall and looked over. She saw Val and his men stalking out of the front of the cathedral, walking towards the street. Her whole body started when she saw police men run out of hiding spots and open fire on the wicked beings, bullets flying through the air, making the vampires drop to the ground without another chance to fight.

Then she threw up. Her body shivered uncontrollably, and she fell to the stone floor. She turned her head, and let her stomach muscles contract; ridding her of every meal she had had that day.

"They're dead. Valiris, his men, all of them," she gasped when she could finally speak.

"What do you know? The police got here in time, for once," Jaden smiled weakly, and then more blood flowed from his mouth, trickling down his chin onto his chest.

"Jay," Angel whispered, moving over to him, grabbing his hands in hers.

He tried to smile, but ended up wincing, more blood gushing from his wound.

"Looks pretty awful…doesn't it?"

"You were stabbed straight in the stomach," Angel said, tears filling her eyes.

"You're afraid," he noted, seeing the tremble in her lips and the tears threatening to drop from her eyes. "Why, precious one?"

"You were Ghost," her voice quivered. "Indestructible, untouchable, imperturbable."

"And madly in love," he whispered, his eyes flickering. "Angel, I'm about to fade out. I won't die. I can't die. Not yet. Before I'm submerged into darkness, though, there's one thing…" he choked on blood, trying to get his words out, "one thing I want to ask you."

"Ask me anything, and I'll give it to you," Angel whispered, moving her mouth to his ear.

"I know I've…been a wretch. I've longed for you, burned for you, more than any man should ever do. But I love you, truly and deeply. I want the comfort…before I fall asleep…of knowing that I have you…for a wife."

"And I give you my permission, Angel," Tom said, putting his hand on her daughter's shoulder. "This man has certainly earned my respect."

"Angel," Jaden choked. "Would you marry me?"

"Yes," she whispered, bending down to kiss his cheek. "I will."

"I know you can't speak much, Jaden," the black wolf said, moving to his side. "But I have the proper authority to officially marry you two, and you certainly have enough witnesses." He transformed into a tall, muscular man, and then began to speak. Jaden and Angel both said their vows, and then the werewolf pronounced them husband and wife.

Jaden gulped back his saliva and blood, and Tom and the werewolf backed away, becoming part of the large crowd of wounded beings who were watching this event take place.

"I love you, Jaden," Angel breathed, lowering herself so her hands were on either side of his shoulders.

"And I most certainly…love you," he struggled. "We'll make it through this," he breathed, sitting up slightly and kissing her chin.

"I promised you something once," Angel said, pressing her lips to his cheek as she spoke. "Something that meant the world to me. It's been stolen several times…"

"But you kept it safe. You never gave it away," he whispered, his eyes sparkling.

"My kiss, my being, is yours," Angel breathed, leaning down and letting her nose touch his. She pressed her lips gently to his, very much a beginner, uncertain of how to truly kiss him. She let her fingers stroke once through his hair as she pulled back, her eyes gazing steadily into his, uncertainly.

He smiled, the light dying from his eyes.

"We're absolute beginners," he said hoarsely.

"As long as you're still smiling, there's nothing more I need," Angel whispered.

She shivered when he raised his hands to her hair and brought her face back down again to meet his. He pressed his mouth firmly against hers, letting his lips move against hers, caressing her, explaining to her, without words, that everything would be all right. One of her tears dripped onto his cheek, and he tightened his hold, as much as was possible given his present state of health, pulling her against him, deepening his kiss, distracting her mind from his weakness. He succeeded in his desire to somewhat comfort her, for his kiss surprised her, and her breath quickened against his face. She put her hands to his face, responding to his passion, moving her mouth rapidly and determinedly against him.

"Til we meet again," he whispered against her lips, moving his mouth to linger on her bottom lip.

His eyes closed, and his lips pulled back from her mouth. She gazed down at him, at his still, pale form, and turned her head to look at Adrian, who was standing at her side.

"Gents," Adrian spoke, gazing down at Jaden. "Help will be here shortly, but until then, we have to keep him alive."

The vampires, one at a time, came to Adrian's side, all of them bloodied and bruised. They gazed down at their leader and then knelt at his sides.

"Let's just hope this works," Whisper said, putting his hand out and placing it on Jaden's bleeding stomach.

One by one, the others put their hands on top of his, all pressing against Jaden's stomach. Angel watched, her eyes wide, as a strange glow emitted from their fingertips, and the blood slowed beneath their hands.

"This won't save him," Dorian explained, looking at Angel. "But it will stop him from dying long enough for the doctors to help him, and it'll close up the most dangerous part of the cut, the part that's actually in his stomach."

Angel nodded and then turned her head when she heard a whooshing sound coming from the sky. She stood up slowly, her hair blowing wildly about her, as a helicopter dipped towards the roof and then hovered above it. Police dropped down on Para cords to the roof, gathered Jaden's limp body up, and then lifted him up into the helicopter, where medics were waiting.

"Take the girl, too," Crimson spoke, his large ears pricked towards the police.

"Who are you?" Angel asked, looking at the dog as one of the policemen wrapped his arm around her.

"You'll know soon enough," the dog spoke, and then watched as Angel was hoisted into the air and was helped into the helicopter.


	25. The Case of the German Shepherd

**The Case of the German Shepherd**

Jaden was immediately rushed into the emergency room. They had to open up his stomach and perform surgery in order to save him, but after two hours of labor, they hooked him up to blood transfusions and an oxygen mask and sent him to Intensive Care. Angel was at his side the whole way, and when finally they stopped pricking him with needles and all other sorts of devices, they gave her the freedom she desired.

She stood quietly over Jaden as he lay on his hospital bed, so many thoughts running through her mind. His pale body was so bruised and beaten; she wondered how he could have stood such pain. She marveled at the muscles in his body, his powerful arms, his strong chest, and the force in his hands. She thought, for the hundredth time, of how he had been Ghost, how he had saved her so many times and had been so passionate and almost reckless. And then there was the knowledge that she was his wife. She, the Angel in the darkness, was the wife of the Night Ghost.

And she was so happy to be that.

Angel felt a sudden desire to be closer to her husband, to be held in those captivating arms. She walked over to him and then sat down on the edge of the bed before she stretched out next to him and wrapped her arm around his chest. She cuddled up against his body, holding him snuggly, and then grabbed an extra blanket with her free hand and drew it over her body.

Husband. Jaden was her husband. And she would do everything she could to love him and help him heal.

The following morning, Angel looked up from Jaden's side when she heard the hospital door open. She squinted against the light that was coming in through the blinds, and then pushed her hair back, out of her face, when she saw a familiar person walking towards her.

"Angel, you seem to be in far better shape than I expected you to be. That's wonderful," Forrest smiled, sitting down on a chair at the foot of the bed. "Don't get up. You look comfortable."

"I haven't seen you in awhile Forrest," Angel said, pulling the blanket over Jaden's chest and getting off the bed. "How have you been?"

"Busy, as always."

"Saving New York?" Angel chuckled, sitting down in a chair across from him and picking up a banana that was on the small table there.

"I suppose," Forrest shrugged. "Keeping you out of as much trouble as I can."

"That's an impossible task," Angel chuckled.

"Jaden's looking better already," Forrest said. "I was worried about the guy."

"Did you pull the raid on the vampires yesterday?" Angel asked, and then took a bite of her banana.

"No, though I planned it."

"Why weren't you there?"

"I was there."

"You were?" Angel asked, her eyebrows narrowing.

"That's right," Forrest said, letting his brown eyes gaze steadily into hers.

There was something deep to his gaze, something tame and submissive, yet so familiar…so loyal…

Angel gasped and pushed back, her chair nearly flipping over as she leaped to her feet.

"You!" she exclaimed. "You! This whole time! You were Crimson!"

"Surprise," Forrest said, leaning back casually in his chair.

"That whole time, when Jaden thought he had a pet, it was you! Every time he sent Crimson over to protect me, it was you! You slept on the edge of my bed!" she said, pointing a finger at him. "You slept on the edge of my bed," she repeated, sitting down with a plop, her hand on her forehead. "Oh great. What else did you get your paws into?"

"Hmm… Saving Ghost's life in England. Saving your life yesterday. A whole bunch of things," he said. "Paying for your medical bills…"

"Did Jaden know what you were?"

"He had his suspicions, but no, he never knew."

"I don't understand. How…why…"

"When Jaden first found me as Crimson, I was sitting on the side of the road, looking lonesome. I knew what he was. Werewolves always know a vampire when they smell one. I let him bring me into his home so, with the police, I could keep an eye on him. I had a feeling he was Ghost, but I wanted to make sure. I learned quickly enough that he was. I aided the police in watching him, following his movements, and then used police force as well as you to block any of his and his men's attacks. The original idea was to kill him. But I was intrigued instead. Why, when he was a vampire, did he struggle so much not to kill people? Why did he pretend to be a normal human with you, and never harm you? The police and I made it a mission to watch him, and to learn everything we could. And so, when we found out about Valiris and your special powers, we decided to protect you and to help Jaden and his bunch. That involved calling on the help of the other werewolves. The police always knew what I was. I worked for them, and they paid me and made my life quite comfortable."

"You…you were working to protect him…to protect me?" Angel whispered

"Of course. I was a German Shepherd, not a wolf. Loyalty, trust, friendship… I was the best friend Ghost could possibly have. And I saved your life several times, too," Forrest nodded.

"Did you make it so after Jaden was beaten to a pulp he would be able to still star on Broadway?" Angel asked quietly, confused.

"Yes. He can still be on Broadway. I learned, from watching him, that he isn't truly evil. He never was. He tried to be something aside from a vampire. He put off eating blood for two years, and his men followed him. They did the same. Ghost had values none of the others had. He had the respect of his men, unlike Valiris. Ghost was a good man, despite being a vampire. He tried his best to fight his predatory instincts, and he succeeded. Except when it came to you. He wanted you pretty badly, but even then, he restrained himself."

"For which I am very grateful," Angel said, looking over her shoulder at Jaden.

"There are a lot of stories involved with Jaden, most that you will never know, but understand this, Angel. The werewolves and vampires are becoming extinct, leaving in their places normal humans. Jaden is safe, as are his men, so long as they don't go back to killing people, which I'm sure they won't. They have other interests. Jaden will be offered a well-paying job with the police as well as his Broadway performances, due to his amazing combat techniques and the knowledge he has of the criminal mind. He'll be a rich man, and protected by the U.S. government."

"There's so much to know. So much to understand," Angel breathed, shaking her head.

"There's only one thing you need to be concerned with," Forrest smiled, putting a warm hand on her shoulder. "Jaden loves you. He has ever since he set foot in this city. Ghost loved you with a passion, with a fiery passion, enough to nearly kill you on several occasions, but he didn't. That man would do anything for you. He has royal blood, vampire blood, and he will survive. He'll survive, and he'll make you happier than you ever knew you could be. Your wildest dreams are nothing compared to what he wants to give you. God's blessed you with a true, loving husband, who'll never leave your side. He'd give his life a thousand times for you if he had to."

Angel stood up quietly and turned to gaze at her husband.

"I don't deserve such kindness," she whispered. "I truly don't."

"None of us do," Forrest said, getting to his feet. "He'll come out of it, Angel. Don't worry. He will."

"I know. He's survived everything else," Angel said, taking Jaden's hand in hers and squeezing it gently.

"I'll leave you now."

"Forrest!" Angel called as he opened the door.

"Yes?" he asked, his brown eyes momentarily burning into hers.

"Thank you, for everything," Angel whispered.

"My pleasure," he grinned, and then left.


	26. Conclusion

**Conclusion**

The first thing Jaden noticed, as he slowly awoke from his deep sleep, was that he was comfortably warm. The second was a continual beeping noise, like from a monitor of some sort. And then there was the slight movement against his chest, a faint rush of air, like someone's breathing.

He smiled slightly as he opened his eyes and turned his head to see Angel curled up against him, her arm around his chest, her long unruly hair brushed against his throat. The woman was fast asleep, her eyes gently closed, her lips slightly parted to draw in more air as she breathed.

Moving slowly, so as not to wake her, Jaden lowered his face to hers and pressed his lips gently against her own.

She murmured something in her sleep and moved closer to him, letting her lips touch his as she began to wake up.

"Angel," he whispered, and her eyes opened to gaze straight into his crimson ones.

"You're awake!" she cried, sitting up abruptly, her eyes sparkling with joy.

"How long was I out?" he asked, grinning up at her.

"Three days," she whispered, and then smiled as he stroked her hair out of her face.

"You were here this whole time," he said, putting his hands back and then using them to push himself up.

He groaned as his stomach muscles moved, but he sat up anyway and put his hand to her cheek.

"All that trouble was worth it," he said, "because you're alive and you're mine."

"I always was yours," she smiled, putting her hands to his face, making sure he was really here.

"It's about time you got out of here," A voice said, and the two turned to see Whisper walking through the door, dressed in a T-shirt, jeans, and two black wrist cuffs. His hair, usually pulled back in a small ponytail, was cropped short and was a significantly lighter shade of brown.

"What on earth –?" Jaden started.

"Check out her necklace," Whisper said, smiling, his fangs barely showing.

Jaden took hold of Angel's necklace and was surprised to find that the black in the center was almost completely red. He opened his mouth quickly and put his finger to his teeth, letting it slide across the bottoms of each tooth. To his surprise, he didn't cut his finger on any of his teeth.

"Well," he said, gazing down into Angel's face. "Looks like your gift is working faster than we thought it would."

"You certainly are looking superb," Dorian said, sliding into the room, looking the same, almost, as he always did, except that his hair was slightly shorter than ponytail size. "I say we get you home."

"And where is home?" Angel asked, smiling at Jaden.

"Until he gets you a house, it's where you lived before. Except, of course, that I'm going overseas for work, so you'll have the property all to yourself, until Jaden gets you a house," Tom said, stepping into the room. "You have a lot of guests, Jaden. Ready to see them all?"

"Sure. Why not?" Jaden asked, and then smiled as Adrian entered the room, Sapphire wrapped in his arm, and then Baron, Drake, Bartholomew, Christopher, and Forrest.

Jaden and Angel were permitted to leave the next day, and they went immediately to Angel's house in upstate New York, accompanied by a marriage certificate. Tom tactfully left the newlyweds to themselves and took a plane to Europe.

The first thing Jaden did, upon placing his small amount of belongings in the living room, was take a shower. It had seemed like so long since he had done that, and he still had blood on him, both his and Val's, and he wanted it off.

When he was finished, and was dressed in a dark green shirt and jeans, he searched the house for Angel, and found that she wasn't there. He had a fairly decent idea where she was, and so, not taking the time to pull on a pair of shoes, he left the house and began to run, making his way towards the meadow.

He didn't have the super speed he had once had, but he could still move quickly enough, and he arrived at the meadow in record time. The sun was just beginning to set, casting golden, fiery, and pink rays across the sky. The light illuminated a lone figure, standing in the distance, her long hair blowing to the side in a warm, gentle breeze. Her hair looked red in the sunlight, contrasting beautifully against her white blouse. She turned her head slightly, when she heard him coming, and then smiled, enjoying the fiery red highlights in his golden strands.

"You look content," she smiled, gazing down as he put his hands to her back and drew her closer.

"You look beautiful," he answered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. He took her hands in his and then intertwined their fingers. She laughed as he began to dance, dipping her low and then pulling her back up again. He twirled her, and then brought her in close.

"You and your dancing," she chuckled. "I can never keep up with you."

"You always keep up with me, Mrs. Princeton."

"We're married now. Somehow, that seems strange," Angel said as he waltzed with her.

"How so?" he smiled.

"Because you were a vampire," she said, gazing down at her necklace. "Why is this not yet completely red?"

"Give it a little time," he said, moving his lips to her cheek. "And give us a little more time."

She sighed and then laughed.

"I couldn't be happier, Jaden."

"Really?" he chuckled and then kissed her deeply, moving his hands to her shoulders. He was delighted when she wrapped her arms around his neck and let him pick her up and twirl her. She smiled against his mouth, as he didn't let her go, and moved her hands to his hair. She then took his hands and pulled them away from her. To his surprise, she slipped out of his arms and began to run, laughing, her hair flying behind her. She turned her head to look at him, still running, inviting him to join this game of chase.

He chuckled and then took off after her, letting the wind whip at his face as he chased. He got close enough to touch her, but before he could, she dodged to the side and kept going, racing straight towards the house.

"You've definitely lost your powers! Ghost would have been able to catch me and spin me around before I could blink!" she called over her shoulder.

"Are you missing Ghost?" Jaden asked, his eyes bright with pleasure.

"Mm… Maybe," she called back.

"I don't think a normal human would have been stabbed in the stomach and then would have been able to run a few days later," Jaden laughed.

"Yes, but even a human guy could catch up to me!"

Jaden put in an extra ounce of speed and then grabbed hold of her, pulling her hard against him so they didn't both fall over.

"I take it back! I take it back!" Angel squealed.

"Too late now. You provoked me," he chuckled, pressing his lips to her neck.

She closed her eyes, letting herself catch her breath, and then turned her head to look into his eyes.

"I don't know what I would have done if I had ever lost you," she said quietly.

He didn't answer, but turned her around and took her hands in his. He then moved his right hand, putting it in his shirt pocket, and pulled out a black velvet case.

"I've been keeping this for you, ever since I realized I loved you," he said, opening the case.

Her eyes widened when she saw the ring set that was there. There was a beautiful diamond ring, shining up at her, and then a wedding band with tiny diamonds encircling it.

"These are beautiful," she whispered as he took the rings out and placed them gently on her finger.

"Not as beautiful as I wanted to give you, but when I first realized I loved you, I bought these, knowing they would match your necklace," he said, tenderly lifting her necklace so the charm rested in his palm.

"When did you first realize you loved me?" Angel asked, her eyes gazing up into his.

"You were running down an alley," he said quietly. "I remember it clearly. It was the third time I saw you after realizing you were the girl in the prophecy. You stopped, pivoted, and then looked straight up, straight into my face. There was such defiance, and yet such purity, to you. I wanted you, right then and there, to know what I was, to understand me and to love me, for I certainly wanted to take you and love you."

"So you became the human boy, Jaden," Angel said, closing her eyes and leaning back against the house wall, remembering.

"I did."

"And I did fall in love with you," Angel smiled, opening her eyes to see his nose nearly touching hers, his hands pressing against the wall on either side of her, trapping her in. "For everything that you were and still are."

He smiled, touching her nose with his own.

"I'm not letting you go this time," he whispered, his breath touching her lips.

"Did you just let me go when I ran last time?" she asked, closing her eyes against his warmth.

"You think you could have slipped right out of the arms of a vampire?" he chuckled.

"Pretty wishful thinking, huh?" she whispered, pushing herself off the wall slightly to press her body closer to his.

"I would say so," he breathed and then pushed his lips against hers.

She was barely given a chance to breathe as she reacted to his touch, deepening her kiss, getting as close as she possibly could to him as he wrapped his arms around her. He moved her towards the house door, letting his hands move up her back to her neck, and then letting his fingers weave through her hair. She could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest as he pushed her back against the door, her hands gripping him tightly to her, heat washing over her body as his kisses became more passionate. She heard his hand slip to the doorknob, and then stumbled back as the door opened behind her. He held her tightly, preventing her from falling, and then pushed one hand back to slam the door shut.

He moved his mouth to her neck, trailing kisses along her cheek to get there, and then muttered against her skin as her hands found his hair.

"I love you."

"I love you too," she gasped, barely able to breathe as his passion intensified.

Visions of Ghost fluttered through her mind as she responded to him, truly enjoying their closeness. There were parts of that vampire, she realized, that hadn't been so terrible. He had such fervor for life, such a passion, and such a sincere desire to love her. She looked forward to what the future would bring them.

When morning arrived, Angel awoke to see Jaden stretched out next to her, one arm around her, his head tilted to the side, letting a few blonde strands lay against his eye. She smiled and then slid out of bed, pulling a bathrobe on over her pajamas. As she tied the bathrobe closed, a stray beam of light fluttered across her neck, and a red glint caused her to look down to her necklace.

There wasn't a trace of black left. There, against her chest, was a beautiful, large, pure ruby, surrounded by tiny, magnificent diamonds.

Jaden was fully human.

Jaden murmured something in his sleep and pulled his arm towards him, as though trying to pull Angel closer. His eyes immediately opened when he realized that there was nothing in his hold, and he sat up to see Angel standing at the foot of the bed, the necklace held in her hand.

"It's completely ruby, isn't it?" he asked, sliding out of the bed and moving towards her.

She nodded and then opened her hand to show him the necklace.

"So much for the fangs, the passion for blood, the super power and speed, and the ability to transport," Jaden chuckled, closing his hand back over the necklace and smiling at her. "It took longer than I thought it would."

"I think it was just waiting," Angel whispered, studying his eyes. "Waiting for the vampire to give himself up."

Jaden nodded and leaned forward, pressing his lips softly to her forehead.

"We have a long road ahead of us, Darling."

"Shall we sing 'Absolute Beginners' again?" Angel teased.

"Nope," he said, hugging her lovingly. "No lyrics could possibly explain what we have."

Angel smiled gently and rested her head against his chest. She closed her eyes as she heard his heart beating, steadily, humanly, beneath her ear. So much lay head, but she wasn't afraid. She couldn't be with him at her side.

**So there it is! The conclusion of "Nocturnal!" What did you all think? And, just out of curiosity, did you have a particular favorite character? I have a sequel to this story, "Blood Moon," and a sequel to that one, "Night Guardian." Would you like me to post those on here as well? Thanks so much for all the reviews!**

** Code Green**


End file.
